Looking at the incidence of relative poverty across different groups its clear that after decades of policies favouring pensioners, the UK has reduced their relative poverty...
So that was the good news, but child poverty has nearly doubled, as have relative poverty of those of working age.
Perhaps more notable the real deterioration took place under the Thatcher/Tory regime.... not so much under the current lot, who've caused other problems!
So, the any place for solving #NHScrisis remain un(der) funded.
Given the increasing public awareness of the founding problems in the #healthservcie, one can only presume that patients have been abandoned on the basis that anyone exposed to the NHS will now unlikely vote Tory in anyway... better to target money at #pensioners directly!
So I see despite leaks (a couple of days ago) suggesting that the Treasury was thinking of using October's #inflation rate for the benefits' annual rise (which was 4.6% against the previous month's 6/7%), #JeremyHunt has actually gone for the usual month... might that have anything to do with the optics of retaining the #pensioners rise, do you think?
For those of you worried about the levels of #publicdebt, here's a scary chart for you - and if you're concerned about developing state #debt, then its even more worrying.
The key thing here is that public debts are (on the other side) 'performing assets' for #investors & #pensioners so the crucial Q. is how willing are the holders to continue to roll forward or even increase their holdings....
So, its partly about confidence... as #LizTruss' debacle showed, that can dissipate very quickly!
Next year #UK will tax state pensions rather than increase taxes on the wealthy
Pensioners will not only have a tax bill, they will have to put money aside to pay it, & will have to complete a self assessment tax return, with all the associated risk of serious penalties attached to that process.
No-one will be surprised that #JeremyHunt is saying he might cut the #welfare budget to pay for #taxcuts... but the Q. must be whose benefits are going to be cut?
#RishiSunak is going to going into bat for the #pensioners.... but Hunt already has his eyes on the #longtermsick who he thinks need to be 'encouraged' back to work... so I'm guessing (yet) more constraints on unemployment benefits (more conditionality, longer delay after job loss)...
As #RishiSunak prepares to reduce the winter fuel allowance for #pensioners, taking our cue from #SteveBarclay, we should now all loudly accuse Rishi Sunak of withholding #heat from the elderly....