“We will keep the winter
fuel allowance. Let me take this opportunity to say very clearly
to any pensioner … You know you are getting letters from the
Labour Party that say the Conservatives would cut the winter fuel
allowance, would cut the free bus travel, would cut the free television
licence.
“These statements by Labour are quite simply lies. I don’t
use the word ‘lie’ very often, but I am using it today
because they are lies.
“We will protect key benefits for older people such as the
winter fuel allowance, free TV licences, free bus travel, and free
eye tests and prescriptions.” [March 23rd 2010]
The
Tory leader was furious with Labour campaigners. He went on
television claiming that pensioners would keep these benefits. And
he launched a scathing attack on the “appalling people”
peddling the “lies".
When asked whether a Conservative government would cut any of the
benefits paid out to elderly people, such as the winter fuel payment,
which is worth between £125 and £400 to over-60s depending
on their situation.
He said: "We will keep the winter fuel allowance. Let me take
this opportunity to say very clearly to any pensioner ... You know
you are getting letters from the Labour Party that say the Conservatives
would cut the winter fuel allowance, would cut the free bus travel,
would cut the free television licence.
“These statements by Labour are quite simply lies. I don't
use the word 'lie' very often, but I am using it today because they
are lies.
In May 2010.
“…Mr Duncan Smith [The
Work and Pensions minister] said he wants
to pare back £2.7bn of winter fuel payments, a universal benefit
paid to the over-60s that Mr Cameron made a conspicuous pledge to
keep in the election campaign and coalition policy manifesto.”
In August 2010, Mr Duncan Smith [The
Work and Pensions minister] was ordered by
the Treasury to save £5 for every £1 spent.
In December 2010, Vince
Cable warned us about winter fuel payments
In February 2011, the influential think tank, The Institute of Economic
Affairs, produced a report called ‘Sharing
the burden - how the older generation should suffer its share of
the cuts’
The report recommends the following cuts for pensioners:
• Abolition of free bus travel: saving
£1.3 billion a year. The arguments for the abolition
are mostly incorrect.
• Abolition of free TV licences; saving
£725 million a year. Arguments discriminate against
carers who are living with pensioners. Pensioners don’t
watch TV. Etc.
• Abolition of winter fuel allowance: saving
£2.1 billion a year. Arguments used for abolition,
primarily there is no real argument for keeping it.
• Abolition of married couples allowance,
and Abolition of Age Allowance. Gain
of £3 billion tax revenue.
• Not linking Pensions to earnings: saving
£5.6billion a year.
• Raising state pension age to 66 in 2015:
saving £5 billion a year.
• Reduction in public service pension contributions:
Saving £17 to £18 billion a
year.
Total saving £35,725 billion, which, we will be told is
"unavoidable", but Fair.
You
can download the PDF document from here
If you like
this article, hit the “Like” button.
Vic Farron
RFT Express.
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p.s.
If you serve one 5 year term as an MP, and you are so rubbish at
it, that the electorate won’t vote you back in, you will receive
£65,000 severance pay for being sacked, plus 1/40th of your
salary as a pension. The millionaires in the Con-Dems need this
money, so this won’t be cut!. Aren’t
you glad you have a Fair government?
Tags: Vince
Cable :Tory Tax Bombshell
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