Author Topic: FEELING EMBARRASSED  (Read 3775 times)

Goingtoseed

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #15 on: Jun 30, 2019, 06:32:14 PM »
and that could include elderly ex service Vets .



Just a bit of info on the question of 'Vets'
To be recognised as a 'Vet' all you need to have received is 1 days pay either as a regular or a volunteer.
Personally I've only recently found this out as I did 12 years in the TA&VR back in the early 70's.
I've just received my 'Vets' lapel badge and am entitled to the new 'Vets' ID card that is coming out at the end of the year.
With all of that there is a huge amount of things that you can take advantage of.
Also I have been told that I should have had my 'Good Conduct'  medal for having been in the Services for 10 years!

I am also supposed to get priority treatment at my GP surgery (which doesn't affect me as I refuse to go anyhow)There is a whole government website specifically for 'Vet's' and the privileges that they are entitled to.


https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/armed-forces-and-veterans/benefits-and-concessions-for-the-armed-forces-veterans-and-their-families/
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-veterans-id-cards-rolled-out-to-service-leavers
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/urgent-help-for-veterans-in-a-crisis/urgent-help-for-veterans-in-a-crisis







 

Cee Gee

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #16 on: Jul 01, 2019, 12:22:50 AM »

I have posted elsewhere about this. You, or if you are a couple should first of all claim Attendance Allowance if you or both of you have any issues that make life more difficult now that you are beyond State Retirement Age. Even the simplest of things can be taken into account. List them all down and go along to the AgeUK offices telling them that you or both of you want to make a claim.
If you manage to get even the lowest rate then the Pension Credit figure could go up from £255 to well over £400.



And you wonder why people are up at arms. My wife and I have an income of just over the threshold so get nothing. I am 77 wife 71 I have worked over 70 hrs a week all my working life retiring at 73. Although not a lot I still pay income tax, full council tax. full water rates and now the TV licence. People that have not paid in get £100 plus more than us. The small increase in our pensions has been swallowed up in the increase of water rates council tax  and now the tv licence . A bit of fair play would not go amiss. 

Diasi

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #17 on: Jul 01, 2019, 06:15:31 AM »

And you wonder why people are up at arms. My wife and I have an income of just over the threshold so get nothing. I am 77 wife 71 I have worked over 70 hrs a week all my working life retiring at 73. Although not a lot I still pay income tax, full council tax. full water rates and now the TV licence. People that have not paid in get £100 plus more than us. The small increase in our pensions has been swallowed up in the increase of water rates council tax  and now the tv licence . A bit of fair play would not go amiss.

If you read all the posts from goingtoseed, he'll show you how to work the system so that even if you're miles over the Pension Credit level you can still get it.

As he says, he's worked the system so that Pension Credit now tops up his household annual pension to £40,000.
Make every day count, each day is precious.
"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal".  (Cassandra)

sparky

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #18 on: Jul 01, 2019, 07:23:05 AM »

You should not need to resort to working the system to get a well deserved reward for a lifetimes hard graft, and paying contributions into a system that others seem to just be able  enter the UK and take advantage of.
We should have a system whereby a person needs to have been in fulltime employment and paying all their dues for a minimum of ten years,  beforeANY benefits can be claimed.

sparky

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #19 on: Jul 01, 2019, 07:35:29 AM »
I should have added, this should be applicable to only incomers to the UK, and obviously not the indigenous Brits  where genuine disability or illness is a factor.

Michael Rolls

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #20 on: Jul 01, 2019, 07:38:00 AM »
Sparky
Thanks for the clarification - I was going to challenge the 'black and white' element of your earlier post on just those lines.
Mike
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The older I get, the better I was!

sparky

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #21 on: Jul 01, 2019, 08:19:47 AM »
Mike, Yeah well it was a bit early in the morning for an 89 year old to remember the obvious exceptions  ;D ;D ;D

Sheila

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #22 on: Jul 01, 2019, 08:30:38 AM »
Well I suppose we could have claimed Attendance Allowance as my husband looked after me for a couple of years while I was very poorly but I have improved now and am 'stable'.  He was in the forces for 25 years so probably should look into the vets thingy.  He won't though. It all seems a bit immoral.

Maddie Malone

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #23 on: Jul 01, 2019, 08:33:20 AM »
It baffles me how those that know how to milk the system get everything they practically apply for with ease and those that genuinely need it have to go through hell and be pulled through a microscope to get even a little bit and are still left struggling .

sparky

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #24 on: Jul 01, 2019, 08:41:58 AM »
Why is it that those that deserve additional help like Sheila with AA, are reluctant to claim, whereas the non deserving pull every stroke in the book to grab all they can, at the earliest possible moment.

Goingtoseed

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #25 on: Jul 01, 2019, 09:10:22 AM »
You should not need to resort to working the system to get a well deserved reward for a lifetimes hard graft, and paying contributions into a system that others seem to just be able  enter the UK and take advantage of.
We should have a system whereby a person needs to have been in fulltime employment and paying all their dues for a minimum of ten years,  beforeANY benefits can be claimed.



Let me enlighten you.
Parliament and the Courts determine who should and should not be able to access benefit income.
The 'system' is extremely complicated for two reasons. The first is that not a lot of thought is given by Parliament when they decide to draft a piece of Legislation. More often that not what the law says is not entirely what the politicians expected it to say. Add to that the many challenges made through the courts as to what the legislation ought to say.
Now because of these two things many will find that the 'system' is far too complicated to understand, hence the reason why some will not attempt to make a claim in the first place.
Because of all of this utter confusion you do have to 'play the system' as the system is not set up to make everything that you are entitled to claim for easy to access.
The government decided to try to rectify this and brought out Universal Credit. A brilliant idea only it does not work. The have made a complete hash of the whole thing plus the DWP who try to operate it are as much in the dark as are the public.
So, the system is at breaking point. On top of that the DWP will not advise anybody as to what financial help is available. You are told that it is your job to find out somehow and then you can make a claim.
It is not unknown for some people to put a claim in for everything they find out irrespective of whether they are entitled to it - 'try your luck' is the name of the game for some.




Goingtoseed

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #26 on: Jul 01, 2019, 09:21:54 AM »
Well I suppose we could have claimed Attendance Allowance as my husband looked after me for a couple of years while I was very poorly but I have improved now and am 'stable'.  He was in the forces for 25 years so probably should look into the vets thingy.  He won't though. It all seems a bit immoral.


Why is it immoral?
In a way it is more immoral not to take up what is available and entitled to no matter what it is.
As a prime example of this failure to take up an entitlement, you only have to look at Pension Credit.
For years the government/DWP plastered adverts on the TV and in newspapers trying to get people to put a claim in. After spending millions on this extensive advertising campaign nothing much happened. They even set up payments without a claim being made for about a million people where the DWP knew entitlement existed. This lasted 6 months with the DWP hoping that these people would then put a formal claim in so as to continue to payments - very few bothered - it was a case of thanks but no thanks.
The DWP even paid AgeUK to try to get people to claim.
In the end the government gave up. Quite rightly the money that people should have had could be used elsewhere - HS2 maybe.
They stopped the 12 month backdating of a claim. cut the staff that were set up to deal with Pension Credit. Now the government don't really care whether you claim it or not - it's no longer their problem.

Always remember if you don't use it you lose it.

As for the 'vets' a lot of hard work has been put in by various charities demanding that the government treat 'vets' with the respect that they deserve.

sparky

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #27 on: Jul 01, 2019, 09:36:38 AM »
So when have politicians ever, created a common sense piece of legislation, most have a university educations with useless qualifications coming out of their ears, but could not organise a p**s up at a brewery. a classic example of this being Brexit. Who else could make such an ongoing pigs ear of following through on  the results of   a referendum . and where are at this point? we are now faced with a choice of slimeball Hunt, who has made a c**k up of every government post he has held, or  somebody who borders on being a raving lunatic, as  our next PM, to run the country, there is no hope for us.

Goingtoseed

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #28 on: Jul 01, 2019, 09:50:20 AM »
So when have politicians ever, created a common sense piece of legislation, most have a university educations with useless qualifications coming out of their ears, but could not organise a p**s up at a brewery. a classic example of this being Brexit. Who else could make such an ongoing pigs ear of following through on  the results of   a referendum . and where are at this point? we are now faced with a choice of slimeball Hunt, who has made a c**k up of every government post he has held, or  somebody who borders on being a raving lunatic, as  our next PM, to run the country, there is no hope for us.



I absolutely agree with you. Unfortunately I am one of the Conservative members that now has to vote for one or the other.

sparky

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #29 on: Jul 01, 2019, 10:03:48 AM »
GTS, You don't have to, you and the other members should start to get yourselves heard and make it clear at the top level that neither of the two begin to have what it takes to be come our PM, give them jobs they are just about qualified for. tea boys in Westminster