Sentences with phrase «wealthy pensioners»

Depending on who you believe, David Cameron is either preparing to withdraw benefits from wealthy pensioners after the next election, or is set to pledge to ring - fence them again.

The Work and Pensions Secretary has urged wealthy pensioners who do not need to receive benefits to volunteer to hand back the money to the government.

They have ideas about how to achieve this, too: a whopping big banking levy (because the City is just as much to blame now for the crash as it was in 2008), stripping wealthy pensioners of payouts like free TV licences, and finally pushing through the much - vaunted mansion tax.

Conservative Cabinet minister Ken Clarke said he does not believe it is possible to return money to the Government after Iain Duncan Smith urged wealthy pensioners to hand their benefits back.

It is a matter in the hands of local authorities, but there is an argument to protect this benefit, while making it taxable for wealthy pensioners by adjusting the level of taxable allowances.)

Pressed on why wealthier pensioners were being spared economic pain once again, the prime minister said: «The choice that we have made [is] saying if you have worked hard and saved and you're in retirement, you deserve dignity and security, so we have protected the basic state pension, which is up # 15 a week since I became prime minister.

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has said that the shadow chancellor Ed Balls» pledge to axe winter fuel payments for wealthier pensioners shows he is «making it up as he goes along»:

Downing Street ready to revisit Cameron's pledge to wealthier pensioners in order to fund welfare reform

Apparently, we're either cravat - wearing, gin - sozzled pensioners sitting on piles of money on the Riviera while pining for the good old days of Rhodesia and Cathay or, alternatively, less wealthy pensioners playing bowls at English - only clubs on the Costa Brava.

And they may soon be joined by a Labour Party that wants wealthy pensioners to lose out on similar grounds, but that is opposed to the child benefit cuts.

There may come a tipping point when voters become suspicious of why the Tories keep targeting unemployment support, especially when bigger savings can be found from ending unnecessary benefits to wealthier pensioners such as free TV licences and winter fuel payments.»

Ed Miliband, you'll remember, said last week that the current set - up, by which wealthy pensioners receive benefits such as Winter Fuel Allowance and free TV licences, «needs to be looked at» — before his party's spokespeople swarmed out to reassure folk that no decisions had yet been made, that their leader didn't like the idea of means - testing, etc, etc..

Read Ed Balls» speech promising to remove winter fuel payments from wealthy pensioners - in full and unedited.

Iain Duncan Smith has said that wealthy pensioners who do not need to receive benefits should voluntarily hand back the money to the Government.

The prime minister insisted the proposals for # 3bn - a-year cuts, set out by the chancellor, George Osborne, on Monday, were better than raising taxes or reducing benefits for wealthier pensioners.

So at a time when the public services that pensioners and others rely on are under strain, it can no longer be a priority to continue paying the winter fuel allowance to the wealthiest pensioners.

A Lib Dem source said: «We have consistently blocked Conservative attempts to freeze benefits for the working - age poor just as they have blocked our attempt to cut benefits for the wealthiest pensioners.

I make it 21 to date, including tax - cuts for low - earners, the introduction of a mansion tax, a major council house - building programme, cuts to universal benefits for wealthy pensioners, rent reforms for private tenants, a living wage for public sector workers, and an elected House of Lords.

Labour's Lilian Greenwood asks Cameron to rejects suggestions from the Tory MP Nick Boles and from the Lib Dems for wealthy pensioners to lose some of their benefits.

«The Liberal Democrats have consistently blocked Conservative attempts to freeze benefits for the working age poor, just as they have blocked our attempts to cut benefits for the wealthiest pensioners.

With good cause Duncan Smith is a critic of the ring fencing of benefits for wealthy pensioners.

Conversely, although Paul Burstow's recommendations may not speak for Nick Clegg, his statements reinvigorate the address Clegg made last month, arguing against universal welfare benefits for the wealthiest pensioners.

Wealthy pensioners will still get benefits like free bus passes and winter fuel payments until 2015 because David Cameron promised to protect them during the 2010 campaign.

A party spokesman told the Guardian newspaper: «If you're faced with a choice in terms of helping the wealthiest pensioners or helping the vulnerable across Britain, then his priority is the vulnerable people across the country who need the most help.»

Ed Balls told the party conference in Manchester about plans including cutting the winter fuel allowance for wealthier pensioners, keeping the the benefit cap, child benefit rising by 1 %, bringing back a 50p tax rate, and introducing a mansion tax.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he does not think Iain Duncan Smith's suggestion that wealthy pensioners should voluntarily hand back benefit payments makes sense.

Iain Duncan Smith has said that wealthy pensioners who do not need to receive benefits should voluntarily hand back the money to the government.

Last week, the Conservative Free Enterprise Group called for free bus passes, free TV licences and winter fuel payments to be withdrawn entirely from the wealthiest pensioner households.