Cameron: No means testing for pensioner benefits

What can we do is easy don't vote if 95% of the UK electorate didnt vote do you honestly think things could continue as they have of course not our politicians are too fond of talking about democracy to be able to ignore that level of public discontent. Votes are important but you don't have to cast one for it to be important and if as you'd have us believe there is empathy in sections then even better because they don't have to do a thing to initiate change. Yes it would cause very short term problems and for once in their career every politician would be rushing to resolve the issue as quickly as possible in order to retain the whole democratic thing they love waffling about. You asked i answered and unless your telling me that the political class could carry on regardless on a 5% turnout it is both a viable and practical way to send the message things need to change and actually get more then hot air done about it.

[Ignitionnet]

Just putting these out there, seems relevant.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/60d77d08-b...44feab7de.html

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/799c83e8-b...44feab7de.html

[Kursk]

But not all the electorate feels the way you do so the Russell Brand don't vote solution won't work.

Can't read the links; a few words of summary would help.

Not this election probably not the one after Kursk but i think there will be dwindling turnouts going forward until things change and hopefully it will be a peaceful change although that will depend on how politicians handle things going forward. People can bang on about opportunities and hard work getting you what you want and in the past that was largely true but for the youth now it isnt true as most of them are good, decent people who are working hard and getting nowhere, still nevermind we can ignore it like so many other issues.

[Kursk]

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

...most of them are good, decent people who are working hard and getting nowhere.....

A view we share. We never stop worrying....

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Just as advisors to the Government predicted, these reforms have not only resulted in human misery as, for example, the eviction of disabled people from their (often adapted for them at public expense) homes gathers pace- but their welfare reforms actually cost more.

The first Welsh eviction of a woman (who has had two spinal prolapses and suffers from sciatica of the leg) looks immediately imminent. After starting to pay off her arrears by cutting down on food and turning down her heating, she has been told to pay the remaining £720 or get out.

How on earth has this been allowed to happen?

https://speye.wordpress.com/2015/02/...a-penny-saved/

You've only got to look at the number of young people sleeping rough to see the results of the cuts, its alright Dave saying they can go home to mum and dad, conveniently ignoring those that can't go home due to violent or abusive parents or those released from care, what are the supposed to do, I did hope some allowances or dispensation had been incorporated into the plan but given the numbers I see each night it would appear not.

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

Put yourself in the position of the 18-25 age group right now they are going to be working longer then any previous generation little to no job security and wages not guaranteed

That's been the norm for all of human history apart from a few decades after the last war. We are looking at the situation the we and our parents/grandparents had and are thinking that's how it's always been and should be, but that's not true

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Ramrod

That's been the norm for all of human history apart from a few decades after the last war. We are looking at the situation the we and our parents/grandparents had and are thinking that's how it's always been and should be, but that's not true

This of course begs the question of why it couldn't have stayed that way.

Shows in other metrics too.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentis...ration-britain



More own outright than have mortgages, more privately rent than socially, on current trends by 2022 more will privately rent than have mortgages.

The property owning democracy at its finest.

So, 14 million homes are owned or have a mortgage, and 8 million homes are rented....

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Hugh

So, 14 million homes are owned or have a mortgage, and 8 million homes are rented....

I believe it's the trends that are more alarming. Fewer and fewer people are buying homes. Since about 2005 it looks as though in net terms no-one has come onto the ladder.

Although given our abysmal tenant protections it's pretty alarming in its own right that we have one of the lowest rates of home ownership in Europe now. Perhaps if landlord Tory MPs hadn't talked out some basic protections this'd be better.

2 million more privately renting, little change in social rent, over a million more owning outright, a million fewer mortgages outstanding.

Well played first and largely Labour whose economic model seemed to focus on house prices and banker fellation via badly set interest rates, misplaced taxation making BTL more attractive, and stubbornly refusing to build houses, then the coalition who made the right noises briefly then settled back into the old formula when they realised it wasn't politically expedient to fix things.

[Kursk]

I wonder what Natalie Bennett thinks about this 'housingy stuff' .

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Just putting these out there, seems relevant.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/60d77d08-b...44feab7de.html

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/799c83e8-b...44feab7de.html

Here as well: http://www.economist.com/news/leader...nd-poor-granny

[RichardCoulter]

https://speye.wordpress.com/2015/02/...e-bedroom-tax/

Looks like pensioners will be subject to the Bedroom Tax if Cameron gets re-elected.

The latest eviction of a disabled woman is expected to take place in Wales by the end if this week. She tried to pay the accumulated arrears by cutting down on food and heating, but this wasn't good enough. She has been told to pay £720 or get out of her home (which, incidentally, had been especially adapted for her at taxpayer expense).

At the risk of being repetitive: Reducing someone's benefit entitlement, whatever the rights and wrongs of it, is not a 'tax'. It facilitates useful discussion if we deal with issues as they are, as opposed to how opposition politicians prefer us to see them.

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

https://speye.wordpress.com/2015/02/...e-bedroom-tax/

Looks like pensioners will be subject to the Bedroom Tax if Cameron gets re-elected.

The latest eviction of a disabled woman is expected to take place in Wales by the end if this week. She tried to pay the accumulated arrears by cutting down on food and heating, but this wasn't good enough. She has been told to pay £720 or get out of her home (which, incidentally, had been especially adapted for her at taxpayer expense).

I can't find that story anywhere except the Morning Star (and blogs that quote the Morning Star), but I can't find anything about the house being adapted for her.

Do you have a link, please?