Fuel Poverty.

[leratty]

Saw a program on natural gas in Norway & they said they had a contract to pipe it to UK for over 50 years & it was enough to supply the UK in Toto for that period? So how can UK be short of gas? I reckon all the major infrastructure, like water, gas, elec, ph rail toll ways being made private or public entity is one of the causes? Here the electricity seems expensive though we do not, like most keep it on all day & night. We leave the one in living room on when out & when we go to bed never, sleep with heater on in bedroom though it is on say two to three hours before we go to bed. So far the bills have been OK. Ph's are bloody amazing, our land line is FREE & we can call over 100 countries for free (not mobiles)for up to one hour then it kicks in so you get off & call back say fifteen minutes later if you have to. Boss Cocky's mob is 10 Euro per month, unlimited domestic calls, limited international + 1.5 hours of SMS-text free. How come don't know, but they say they make money? In Aus domestic line used to be $30 per month + calls, mobiles off the graph. Mine was often more than $1,000 per month! Hong Kong-Shanghai no where near that, around $25 per month + international calls say $250. Go figure.

[Captain Kong]

Brian,so the idea of a £140 pw standard for all hands would be better for you.
Regards.
Jim.B.
I guess so Jim.
I still cannot figure out how the figures are calculated.
.
and Keith,
that is right we are taxed on the total pension. If I was on Benefits totalling more than my pensions I believe it is all tax free.
**** next door gets a lot of money on Benefits and doesnt pay a penny tax. I have to pay tax on my miserable Merchant Navy Pension.
How wrong is that?
If pensions are taxed then benefits should be taxed or no tax at all for everyone.

Brian.

[Tony Wilding]

thats my complaint brian, benefits of any amount tax free, i lose 90 pounds a month because of my works pension, does not pay to work, our system is a dossers delight.

[Red Lead Ted]

Trouble is Terry what do you replace them with , I think Eastleigh by-election on Thursday might be interesting , that should be a good opinion poll . I think for Labour to come back they may need the other Milliband without Balls

{EASTLEIGH by election............ Is probably the most significant vote casted by the electorate since this coalition has been formed. It has been a Lib Dem stronghold for many years, Don't be surprised if there tactics backfire on them Eastleigh has a very strong mail vote by the nature of its constituency, But the exit polls are warning of a shock it could well be the younger voter under 30yrs old who have the last say many of whom are as bewildered as the rest of us and the signs are it may well go the way of not Labour, but UKIP. I for one will not be surprised if that happens. Just a footnote Rob British Gas, today announced profits of £606.000.000. an increase of 11% on the year before. So the champagne bottles will be flying at the share holders bash, While the poor working man or a guy trapped on benefits or more importantly the not very well of pensioners in this country has to choose between, Heat or Eat, What a great Britain this is. But then who are the majority share holders in this company.....................Mostly minister,s from Westminster its a bloody joke and a disgrace off with there heads Regards Terry.

[j.sabourn]

Brian if I remember correctly and if you contributed to the MNOPF. The 5 per cent of your earnings or whatever it was, this was also taxed before it went into the fund, so you were being whammied twice. In retrospect, not that we had the chance, as contributions were enforced by law at that time, we would have bought gold bars, or perhaps a gold bar and kept under the bed. Cheers Joihn Sabourn.

[happy daze john in oz]

Brian, My pension very similar, but you havnt mentioned income tax, which like me you are probably paying the tax on the old age pension on your occupational pension, which means its actually worth even less!!! KT

I cannot understand the 'tax' on pensions. Your contributions to NHS when working were after tax so you have paid on that. There must be a tax free threshold before tax is due, just what is going on?

Here in oz no tax is charged on pensions as contributions were taxed. If you have super then you paid tax on the contributions. If you are entitled to state pension then you are allowed to earn $240 per forttnight before your pension is affecetd. We get part UK, super paymenst and some state pension. the amount of state pension is reduced by 50 cents for each dollar over the $240 per fortnight.

[j.sabourn]

Ted if I lived in Eastleigh, the UKIP would be getting my vote. Cheers John Sabourn

[happy daze john in oz]

I know many of you complain about utilities being privatised, but i do not agree.
No gov of any persuasion should be involved in the ownership, management or conttol of any business be it a corporation or a utility. Gov makes the rules under which a country operates, to be in business creates a conflict of interst.
Had gov of the past gone down this path the country may well not find it in the current situation.
Business is there to run business not goernments.

[j.sabourn]

John to my knowledge the same type of tax system exists as it does here. I am probably in a similar position to yourself. Up unti llast year I was paying bewtween 2 and 3 thousand dollars tax. Last year nothing. All your income is lumped together which is all pensions and you pay tax over the threshhold allowance. If this is not the case my accountant is a crook. I have never really understood the Australian tax forms as there are so many different type of allowances. I know people with a much bigger income than me who have paid no tax for years. The way I see it being married the income should be divided by 2 and this is your gross income and in most cases is well below the threshhold. When I brought this up the accountant came out with some excuse about a few shares the wife has, which are only a nominal amount. I only hope this year is the same with no tax deductions. When living in UK dont think I ever filled in a tax form as was all PAYE. Cheers John Sabourn.

[happy daze john in oz]

John, not quite sure how your accountant is doing things. I ahve not had to do a tax return since retiring, we have no need to decalre any of our income from pensions overseas or super. If I was to earn from employment then I would have to declare it but that is all.