About Wales

hasnt Wales been doing something similar for a few years now?

Oh Free Swimming!
I thought they were on about 'free wimmin'. Drat and botheration!

It would soon be seen for the gimmick it is, if every 60+yr old turned up at opening times at every pool in the land.

Twenty millions or so, all waiting to have a dip?
I should co co.
That is what they certainly DO NOT want.

Yet again crumbs from the table of the hoi-poloi.

How many pensioners etc will actually take up such an offer?

Nowhere near as many who would benefit from a general raise in pensions, or reduction in some tax or other.
Maybe free TV from 60 yrs of age. Perhaps a concessionary reduction in heating fees?
Now those would be a valuable concessions, and far more welcome than a free entry for a minute number who may be tempted to go 'swimming', instead of staying warm and comfortable in front of the 'box'.
Maybe that's the plan, get the wrinklies out into the wet, so they'll catch a cold and develop pneumonia and suffer an early demise.

Less to pay out in pensions maybe?

tomos,

The same thing crossed my mind also,exactly how many more pensioners would go swimming just because it is free ? Those that want to swim already go charge or no charge.

Gazarra

the over 60's have enough concessions as it is with their bus passes, winter heating allowance and their extended Income Tax personal allowances (over 65's)

Typically for someone who does not know or is unaware of the reasons for the extended tax allowances, you make comments that show up your ignorance of the practicalities.

By extending the allowance, the government are thereby not required to top up the inadequate state pension to many of our senior citizens.

This is demonstrated by the way they give blanket payments to those over a certain age, for winter fuel allowance, many who can well pay for their own fuel. The same to family allowances, be you pauper or millionaire you get it, at one time your family size was catered for by a raised tax number, and the family allowance was taken into consideration.

They cannot do that in every case, so they do it by the means of tax relief extensions etc.


They would have to extend THAT to ALL over pensionable age, but by making it available to those who fall into the tax band where the allowance is triggered, far fewer qualify, so it saves a multi million pound monthly payout.

Unlike most who contribute to this and other boards, some of us recognise the agenda's behind much of government legislation, and therefore do not try to make invalid points, that under scrutiny will not stand up.

From your previous, jealously laden, postings on the matter, it is obvious you feel hard done to in respect of what the OAP gets, and what you do not, keep in mind the very fact of life, you too will be of pensionable age one day.

You my friend are politically naive, and also too sensitive for your own good.

My message was to the point, not rude or discourteous.

If you will insist in forwarding messages that demonstrate you naievity in the matter of political undercurrents and hidden agendas, do not be surprised if you get taken to task for your simplistic commentary.

We live in a hard world, and it is the political will of the people to put up with all these matters of unfair practice, otherwise we would throw the lot out of office, and employ managing teams to do what is necessary to keep our nation up and running.

If the people are too dumbed down to realise they are being shafted on a hourly, never mind daily basis, too darned lazy to take action to create a better sort of financial regime that actually benefits them, then they deserve all they get.

Today we see the wedding of a bloke whose sole contribution to life is to boot a bladder of wind about a small patch of grass, and on which wedding, to a very ordinary looking girl, who herself has nothing to offer beyond filling page after page in magazines and newspapers with trite and unsubstantial nothingness, he is reputed to be squandering some 5 million quid.

At the same time, in order to get that sort of money, his followers, many of whom I have no doubt keep their families short of money in order to so do, provide him with the obscene payment he gets for his performance, I will not dishonour the word by calling it a 'wage', that implies productive and meaningful work, not runnionmg about with 21 others of his ilk, for 90 minutes or so, in front of a mass of baying critics, shouting and screaming, even crying should things not go their way.

At the same time again, we have the government, useless as it is, and I include ALL political colours in this, telling us that millions of pensioners and kids are living below the poverty line. Many of whom are probably so deprived by the activities of their elders paying enormous sums to watch the likes of this Groom of the day.

Where is the fairness in that then?

The government allows mass extraction of funds from us all in all the taxation they take from us, and the gross over charging for domestic fuels and such, but do absolutely nothing about it.

And you say it is unfair for a few thousand, who have contributed all their lives to the economic well being of this country, to get back a few quid here and there, and from the way in which you construct your messages, sounding like you are resentful of the facts. Ergo: jealous.

No sir, I am not rude or discourteous, I am BLOODY ANGRY.

Rooney and Coleens money is obscene the same as any footballer.Alas what does one do with it all ??????????????

Where I work,There are 11 of us altogether.The Youngest is aged 42,and the eldest is 70.
The average age of us all being 59.80 years.
As far as I know,None of those over 60[9 of us] are thinking of retiring.I am one of them,and I'm 62 in October.

geezerllareggub

When your total income reaches £21k then the additional allowance of £3000 is reduced at the rate of £500 for each £1000 of income.Therefore at £27k you revert back to the normal personal allowance.So a perso who has prepared well for retirement is penalised...yet another classic New Labour policy.