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July 16, 2011
I received the following article in my emails today which sums up my situation exactly.
Now I never knew this, because this kind of information is not generally available to the public for obvious reasons! I don’t know where Mr McBride got his information from or whether it’s all true or not, but I do know that the Old Age Pensioner figures are correct, being an OAP myself. The basic pension is actually £102.15 ($165) per week, not £106 ($171). Mr McBride didn’t mention that most pensioners do have a small amount extra added to that figure, such as Graduated Retirement Benefit £7.25 ($11) making a total of £109.4 ($176). Out of my weakly [sic] pension I am expected to pay my Council Tax, the gas, electricity, water, phone and other bills! I am one of the lucky ones(?), I have a small (VERY small) private pension (on which I am taxed!) which does help with the little luxuries in life, such as food and clothing. If you look at the “About me” bit in the right column most of that is not true now. I wrote that about 6 years ago. The cost of living has gone up so much, but the yearly increments of the state pension (this year 2.5%, not nearly enough) doesn’t keep pace with roaring inflation; so no more holidays in France or anywhere, no more archery (club fees and insurance now too high), and worst of all, I now have to cut back on my visits to the pub, which is the only social life I have left! I don’t hate the immigrants for getting those benefits, it’s our sick government I hate for turning this country into a land “flowing with milk and honey” to attract the immigrants like bees to a jam pot. If only I could find a land where I could go and be handed more money than I ever had and a better life style just for the asking I would be off like a shot tomorrow, so we can’t blame the immigrants for flocking in their thousands to this country when you look at all the poverty in their own countries. Sorry about this rant, I know I said I wouldn’t turn this blog into a political one, but this subject gets to me like an arrow through the heart, and I just had to say something!
6 Comments posted on "We’re broke but we can still afford"
Comments:
Anon. on July 16th, 2011 at 12:55 pm #
And today we hear that our country, in debt up to its neck, is pouring yet more aid into Africa to feed the starving millions. How have we been able to manage this? Borrowed yet more money or printed a few million more? And what will we get back for it? Even greater population growth of people who contribute nothing to the world. All they are capable of is eating and reproducing and it seems that however hungry they are, they still manage to churn out more hungry mouths to feed. The best aid we could give them would be to surgically snip all the adult males and we should be doing nothing to help them continue in this way. Harsh reality which will have to be faced sooner or later, there are far too many people on this planet and if they cannot sustain themselves by their own efforts then that’s their affair. If I was personally up to my eyes in debt you can be sure that I would certainly not take out a loan and give it to someone living down the road. Our politicians have lost all touch with reality, bloody morons, every one. - Celtic Morning. CM: You hit the nail on the head! – Keith.
betsy on July 16th, 2011 at 6:33 pm #
I so agree! The tax payers are second class citizens after the illegal immigrants it seems. Very similar in our country. Too much trying not to offend and to be politically correct. Sigh. I feel like a stranger in my own country when I go into town. Leicester is heavily populated with immigrants (I have stopped shopping there now, it’s too scary!). The local paper reported that the population in Leicester is now 57% ethnic minority! I was always taught at school that anything over 50% is a majority, but I can see what the paper is trying to do; not spread alarm and despondency. – Keith.
helen on July 17th, 2011 at 7:42 am #
I am with you all the way with this one keith, I just wonder how long before we become a 3rd world country, and it will come. Who will help us out, god I dread to think!
I was just thinking on July 18th, 2011 at 7:11 am #
I found Keith’s post interesting. I know my dad and mother-in-law are finding it hard to make ends meet, but when you read things like this, (if his email is true) it really is time the government were made to answer for their actions. The post is true as far as I can ascertain from the information I got off the internet. I know some pensioners have savings and investments to fall back on, and obviously two pensioners in one house can manage better than one who lives alone and cannot share household expenses. ” Two can live as cheaply as one” as the saying goes. Sorry but I had to edit your comment, something had gone wrong, it didn’t make sense as it stood. – Keith.
Wendy Ascham on July 18th, 2011 at 10:12 am #
I can vouch for my Dad, I visit him when I can and what he says is true. He is really beginning to feel the pinch now and no doubt things will get worse under this government.. That’s it. Go on tell everybody! – Keith.
Sharon J on August 5th, 2011 at 11:56 am #
I’m always a little skeptical when I read figures like this. Does the amount that immigrants get include housing and council tax benefit and tax credits? A lot of OAPs believe their basic state pension is all the can get (my mum was one of them) but she’s recently found out that because her savings are less than £16,000 she’s also entitled to full council tax paid and tax credits to top up her pension. Together they bring what she gets up to around the same as this says immigrants are getting. The figures about immigrant v. OAP benefits comes from a reliable source. If you click the logo you will be instantly teleported to the site. Firstly, I was told that I am £1.27 over the minimum requirement to qualify for Pension Credit. Post a comment
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Here are a few facts, which might help you decide if you've had the unfortunate experience of meeting me in real life or not ... I am 75 going on 30, divorced and available. I enjoy French cooking, drinking lots of wine, (French of course!) and holidaying in France (on a pittance, I might add!). I also have a passion for amateur radio and electronics. I design and make stained glass windows now purely as a hobby (It used to be my trade until I retired). My other interests are archery and French boule; playing Petanque with friends and a nice bottle of vin rouge on the side.
