sherlock
Well-known member
That's not true though.We don’t know anything until the budget. Anything else is deflection.
We know about the winter fuel allowance cuts.
That's not true though.We don’t know anything until the budget. Anything else is deflection.
I don't know the answer but my guess would be that HMRC can tell you what happened last year but not this year so everything would have to be based on circumstances that may no longer be relevant. Seems like a suitable solution to me but there would be an issue with people not being able to get things that they need now if they have to wait a year until their eligibility is proven so would have to have something that bridged that gap.I have a question - why is it so hard to means test something?
HMRC know everyone's income, the government know who they are paying benefits too and how much, everyone is linked by an NI number - this doesn't seem too hard?
It should be possible for anyone to login to some Government portal (or call someone), and give them your NI number and you should be able to be told all the benefits you're eligible for, which you're claiming, which you aren't, and what the impact should be.
Then it would be easy to say "anyone at or over pensionable age who earns less than X will receive the WFA"
I get that governments move slowly, but this should be achievable...
That's not true though.
We know about the winter fuel allowance cuts.
I'd imagine it's relatively easy to deal with PAYE employees (outside of side-hustles) but you only have to look at what happened with the Covid furlough payments to realise that the self-employed might be playing by the letter of the law rather than the spirit of it (if there can be such a thing).I have a question - why is it so hard to means test something?
HMRC know everyone's income, the government know who they are paying benefits too and how much, everyone is linked by an NI number - this doesn't seem too hard?
It should be possible for anyone to login to some Government portal (or call someone), and give them your NI number and you should be able to be told all the benefits you're eligible for, which you're claiming, which you aren't, and what the impact should be.
Then it would be easy to say "anyone at or over pensionable age who earns less than X will receive the WFA"
I get that governments move slowly, but this should be achievable...
HMRC should probably know everyone’s declared taxable income. But with judicious use of the different allowances, particularly if you have no PAYE income, you can probably run up about 30k without a liability just for using basic allowances, and a lot more using exemptions. Does HMRC know about all of that? Especially if it’s accrued abroad?I have a question - why is it so hard to means test something?
HMRC know everyone's income, the government know who they are paying benefits too and how much, everyone is linked by an NI number - this doesn't seem too hard?
It should be possible for anyone to login to some Government portal (or call someone), and give them your NI number and you should be able to be told all the benefits you're eligible for, which you're claiming, which you aren't, and what the impact should be.
Then it would be easy to say "anyone at or over pensionable age who earns less than X will receive the WFA"
I get that governments move slowly, but this should be achievable...
So if we know all about them can you please tell me if a pensioner on Savings Credit will qualify?
You're just baiting now, which is why I didn't reply.@sherlock Did I miss your answer? After all you know the policy already. Could you enlighten us?
You're just baiting now, which is why I didn't reply.
You said we don't know what is in the budget, I said we know that the cut to winter fuel allowance is in the budget.
You then asking questions about my knowledge of the detail of the policy is then just deflection. We know it's coming, we know some pensioners who need it will lose if, and we know Labour are refusing to row back on it. That's all we need to know.
That’s on the government then. If they’ve allowed millions of pensioners to worry unnecessarily then that shows Labour in an even worse light.Just shows you have no idea what the final policy may be. No one does. People on more than 12k may well be able to get WFA.
May get ?Just shows you have no idea what the final policy may be. No one does. People on more than 12k may well be able to get WFA.