State pension

[Louis the fly]

The tactics of divide and rule never fail to work. If the government and it's mouthpiece " Daily Mail " can produce more stories of people abusing the benefits system it deflects blame from the real culprits of the economic meltdown. How many crooked millionaire bankers, speculators and hedge fund managers have been charged, fined or jailed ? How many multi- national companies are avoiding tax? How much did Blair's wars cost this nation ?
A member of the Lords can sign in, enjoy a subsidized chef prepared lunch with fine wine, have a sleep in a huge leather armchair and be paid £300 expenses for doing so, £1,500 a week. Perhaps the Honourable Lord may even join the debate on the benefits system.

[j.sabourn]

#20..... And that wont even be an air mail stamp Brian. So the Girls in the Islands will just have to keep on correspondence by e-mail. Cheers JS

[vic mcclymont]

The tactics of divide and rule never fail to work. If the government and it's mouthpiece " Daily Mail " can produce more stories of people abusing the benefits system it deflects blame from the real culprits of the economic meltdown. How many crooked millionaire bankers, speculators and hedge fund managers have been charged, fined or jailed ? How many multi- national companies are avoiding tax? How much did Blair's wars cost this nation ?
A member of the Lords can sign in, enjoy a subsidized chef prepared lunch with fine wine, have a sleep in a huge leather armchair and be paid £300 expenses for doing so, £1,500 a week. Perhaps the Honourable Lord may even join the debate on the benefits system.

It's always amazing how the Daily Mail is dragged into the various arguments regarding welfare, never hear of the Mirror or the other well known leftish paper the Guardian or for that matter Channel Five.
Louis yes the Bankers should be punished as should the politicians that wrecked the economy, most (I don't agree) companies are avoiding tax which is a legitimate excercise, tax evasion is against the rules and they can be heavily fined.
Part of the problem is the EU and its rules, which allow avoidance to take place.
MAny years ago when I worked for IBM, it always paid its dues, and was seen as a good corporate company, now it channels it's profits through Eire, to avoid tax.
So it is not just a UK problem but a World Wide problem.
As for the benefits system, the whole thing is out of kilter, why should someone get paid £26,000 for being on the Dole and more than someone who works? The whole benefits system requires overhauling from top to bottom.

[Rodney Mills]

Your pension problems are not unique to the U.K.. We just received a letter today from our Social Security Service re. our pensions for 2015.

My wife: $17.00 per month increase. Medicare (N.H.S.) withholding increased $22.00 Net Loss: $5.OO

Mine: $20.00 per month increase. Medicare (N.H.S.) withholding increased $23.00 Net Loss: $3.00

Combined Loss: $8.00

Boos! Rodney

[j.sabourn]

Copy of a letter in the International Express of this weeks date by the Hon. Chairman British Pensioners..................."A & E crisis.. The UKs problems. Would cease to be less of a problem if the Government was to uprate all ex pats UK pensions. The International Consortium of British Pensioners has made it clear to the Government that many thousands of British pensioners presently living in the UK and possibly contributing to the hundreds of A & E cases, creating chaos in the hospitals, would possibly be encouraged to migrate abroad if their state pensions were indexed . Many would go back to their cultural homes in India, Bangladesh, most of the Caribbean nations and to Africa. The potential migration, encouraged by a long overdue change by uprating the State UK pension for all pensioners rather than the current immoral practice of freezing the pensions of only 4 per cent of the pensioner population, would most likely see thousands leave Britains shores. This migration would take pressure off NH services including A & E facilities. Such a policy change would benefit not only the British budget but also help those older people be less lonely and enjoy the benefit of company with their extended families abroad". End of letter. This does not affect myself either way, as would expect nothing less than most of the stupidity displayed by successive British governments, and was fortuanate enough to make other arrangements. However on behalf of those less lucky it should be continuously rammed down the neck of Downing Street which has been done for a number of years now. Cheers JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John.
You say Australia is over governed, I agree; Seven state and one federal Governments for 21 million people is ridicules, maybe the country split into three because of the vastness a line right down the middle East and West and Federal maybe. I remember when they said that over 150 unions were to many, using Germany as an example with only ten unions, so what did they do amalgamated most of the unions personally I think it was a mistake left the members to far from keeping the leadership under their eyes, look at what happened to the health union funds.
Cheers Des

[Charlie Hannah]

I get the princely sum of 32-63p but hey better than a kick up the kyber.Goes into my account every three months.

[j.sabourn]

#26... So is the UK Des. 650 for the size of the UK. Maybe someone could work out how many square miles each one had a more often than not a useless say on. A bunch mostly of useless persons producing nothing apart from a big expense to the tax paying public. Very nice if one can get it. A life of good living on the backs of others. Which also extends well into retirement. Only hope the UK has a huge turnout at the next polls and don't sit on their hands and let the immigrant fraternity do the voting for them. See also by the International papers this week that a survey done on a cross example of the British public 80 percent wanted out of the ECU. If they don't get to the polling booths they are not going to get it. Believe Spain now also wants out the same as Greece. Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

#27... Your probably in a different situation than some of these other pensioners Charlie. I know some who cant get the Australian pension as not entitled to it because of non working in Australia and non citizenship, and have to rely on the British pension of years ago. On going back to UK over the past 20 odd years, I certainly wouldn't like to have to go back to survival on the UK pension only, and that's without it being at a much reduced rate. As for living on such only I would say was nigh on impossible here, and it is only because they have family here willing to support them that they survive. The obvious answer is really for them to return to the uk and get their full rights. However a lot grin and bear it as would rather be with family. Cheers JS

[happy daze john in oz]

#18 The latest one about Abbot and his Knighthood to the Duke/Edinburgh I cant get my head round though. It is the P.M.s call. It is one of the obvious choices he had, and as the Labour Govt, under Bob Hawke gave the Duke the top honour in the Country the Comp. of the Order of Australia, he decided to upgrade to keep in line. Whats wrong with that? It seems to me that politicians assisted by the media if they get their tiny minds set on one thing, which is usually trying to get one up on everyone, confirms what we all know they are a bunch of #ankers. Australia must be the most overgoverned country in the world, and must hold the Guinness book of Records for the same. Time to start dismantling the numbers. JS PS further to the above, when it was decided to bring Knighthoods back, then there should have been the complaints by those against. As far as I am concerned, another mistake that was made if any were, is that the first one should have gone to the Duke, before anyone else. I still have not seen any information by our bested gentry of the press, who is the patron of the Order, if is issued on Command of the Queen, then it is going to be The Duke himself, in which case it is the proper thing as Head of the order he should also have. What is wrong with the intelligence of our so called politics and bum media. You cant even pick up a newspaper here without bad grammar and mistake after mistake, people being mis- quoted, all started I suppose when they got rid of their proof readers the only intelligent people they had around. JS

It was announced on the news today that Frazer when PM gave a knighthood to Prince Charles, so why all the media hye?

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If I recall night hoods were very god I our time at sea, kept a lot of trouble away.