Cost of living crisis

May 2024 Forums General discussion Cost of living crisis

Viewing 15 posts - 121 through 135 (of 322 total)
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  • #234769
    chelmsford
    Participant

    Went down the Blue Ram last night and you couldn’t get near the bar for pensioners. They were all on shorts. The Tories aren’t as daft as they pretend. Keep the ancientry sweet and you will be re-elected. A pensioner would sell her soul for a bag of werther’s originals.

    #234771
    ALB
    Keymaster

    I don’t know about that. There are plenty of socialists who are pensioners. Actually I was in a pub when she made her announcement. Those there were happy saying “about time” and “good riddance” Then they said “Bring Back Boris”.

    #234814
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Pensions are deferred salaries. I know several pensioners who are using their free time in order to work for the working class movement

    #234822
    Lizzie45
    Participant

    “There are plenty of socialists who are pensioners”

    An overwhelming majority, I’m told, at least in the SPGB.

    #234823
    Bijou Drains
    Participant

    Chelmsford’s analysis of the group of pensioners who were backing Boris and enjoying their snifters at the Blue Boar, shows the weakness of using anecdotal evidence as opposed to accurate data.

    Clearly the pensioners at the Blue Boar were doing ok in the current cost of living crisis, because they had the money to go out for a drink.

    The ones who aren’t doing well and who are unhappy with the current situation weren’t there! It’s highly unlikely that those in food and fuel starvation were going to struggle across to a pub to go in and make their situation known.

    On another point, surely making comments such as ” A pensioner would sell her soul for a bag of Werther’s originals.” and Lizzie45’s attempt to use age as a way to belittle the SPGB is in a small part of a process of demonising a part of the working class, just like racism, homophobia, sexism, etc. Would people be as comfortable to make a comment like “a Pakistani would sell his sould for a popadum”

    It might seem a small point, but the callous attitude of some people (not least the government) to older people dying in droves was quite alarming at times. Comments like this can add to that overall process of scapegoating.

    #234875
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    The slp of America and the cpusa had many retirees who worked full for the party, provided financings and left some living trusts and properties for their own party The cpusa has a big mansion in LA used to provide classes, meeting, bookstore and other party affairs

    #234882
    chelmsford
    Participant

    Dinner today will be newspaper stew followed by a plate of cold frugals. For afters we will be asked to imagine rice pudding. When I ask for more the beadle will give me a damn good thrashing and put me up for sale.
    If you can believe there is starvation in this country you can believe anything.

    #234887
    alanjjohnstone
    Keymaster
    #234907
    Lizzie45
    Participant

    Five cost of living payments which will land in bank accounts before Christmas.

    https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/cost-of-living/cost-of-living-payment-money-25300038

    #234943
    alanjjohnstone
    Keymaster

    If you can’t pay your energy bills, you are very unlikely to be disconnected – instead, your energy supplier will require you to have a prepayment meter.

    There is the danger of people “self-disconnecting” – basically, you can’t afford to top up. “Forcibly moving people in debt on to prepayment meters is disconnection by the back door,” Gillian Cooper, head of energy policy at Citizens Advice, told the Guardian. “If people can’t afford to top up, they’re at real risk of the heating going off and the lights going out.”

    4.5 million domestic customers use energy prepayment meters, and many of them are on low incomes. With one of these, you pay upfront for your gas or electricity. It lets you pay small amounts often, but it is more expensive than getting a bill.

    the government’s energy price guarantee (EPG) is about 2% higher for prepayment customers than for those who pay by direct debit, so those with the least have to pay more.

    unlike direct debit customers, they cannot spread the cost across the whole year. That could translate into £200-£300 more spent on energy just this winter. On top of that, prepayment meter households will often have the most poorly insulated homes.

    https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/oct/25/why-rising-use-of-prepayment-meters-could-be-disconnection-by-back-door

    #234949
    Lizzie45
    Participant

    Strike on 1st December.

    #234989
    alanjjohnstone
    Keymaster

    World Bank says it is too expensive for governments to help everyone with their soaring energy bills. Malpass said he was concerned that the additional help for people will push inflation even higher.

    Malpass said many of the Covid subsidies were not targeted. “They went to everyone…and now the consequences are coming home…People will be left for years and even decades paying for that debt,” he added.

    The Institute of International Finance reports that global debt topped $305 trillion earlier in the year and is expected to increase further.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63386350

    #235034
    chelmsford
    Participant

    I had a pleasant surprise on Tuesday. Postie dropped my quarterly electricity bill through the letter-box (as postmen do).I was expecting to experience some kind of unrequested bowel-movement, but there was nothing to pay. If fact the account is in credit. Just goes to show you should never believe anything you read in the newspapers, see on the telly or hear on the radio.

    #235089
    Lizzie45
    Participant

    And my dad had a pleasant surprise this morning. Postie dropped a letter though his letter box from the DWP notifying him that his 2022 Winter Fuel Payment will be £500. This includes extra cash from the government to help with the cost of living.

    #235111
    ALB
    Keymaster

    How nice of the capitalist class to hand back a little bit of the wealth they steal from the working class.

    Pity that depending on their handouts is seen as the only game in town.

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