He gave massive tax cuts to big business, but he had nothing new to offer old folk
PA
His Budget last year was an omnishambles. Today’s was an oldieshambles.
Chancellor “Wee Georgie” Osborne gave massive tax cuts to big business, but he had nothing new to offer old folk.
No respite from soaring fuel prices. No help for rocketing food costs.
He confirmed what had already been announced – that the new £144 a week flat-rate pension would come into effect a year early, in 2016.
And the “cap” on social care costs of £72,000 will operate from the same date.
But these promises do nothing for five million elderly women who will still have to struggle on existing pensions and submit to the humiliation of means tested Pension Credits.
Added to this, around 20 million people now working in the private sector will be worse off because the second state pension is being scrapped.
This pension shambles also disguises the fact that £144 a week flat-rate income will still fall £30 a week short of the official poverty level, thereby pushing future generations of old folk into debt.
Osborne also failed to mention that he’s putting the qualifying age up to 68, so workers will pay for longer, wait longer to get their pension and then still not have enough to live on.
As for the £72,000 cap on social care, experts calculate that this will help only 10 per cent of No wonder Dot Gibson of the National Pensioners’ Convention called the Budget “less Aspiration Nation and more Aspirin Nation because it leaves millions of older people with a severe financial headache.”
Once again, the little rich boy Chancellor has shown he cares more about the captains of industry than the retired stokers who made the country what it is.
Mirror
