OT. News!

[Tim Lamb]

Our gracious government have just notified me of a 25p per week pension upgrade!

Any printable suggestions how I might best utilise this benevolence?

[The Natural Philosopher]

Put it into a stamp on a postcard smeared in excrement addressed to them and saying 'FUCK OFF'...

[John Rumm]

Well, by Christmas you may have received enough to afford the stamp to send them a card thanking them :-)

[alan_m]

But it would take him a month to save up for that stamp.

[Ottavio Caruso]

Am 07/12/2023 um 10:20 schrieb Tim Lamb:

Lucky bastard that you get a pension.

[#Paul]

No problem: Every month, spend the accumulated money on some suitable minor food item, and donate it to a food bank.

#Paul

[JNugent]

Use it to heat up a kettle in order to celebrate your 8oth birthday with a cup of tea?

[JNugent]

Steady on... the 25p weekly increase comes with one's 80th birthday.

It was probably a valuable addition when it was introduced in 1971. 25p then would be worth a little more than £3 in today's prices.

But the age-related increase, like the £10 "Christmas Bonus" introduced the following year, has not been uprated since.

However, a £100 to £300 winter fuel allowance (even to non-householding pensioners) was introduced in 1997. This year, it was boosted by £300 per household, as a one-off measure.

[Colin Bignell]

In 1971 fish and chips cost me 1/6d (doubling to 15p after decimalisation, which is why the price sticks in my mind). Last week the same meal cost me £11.

[Tim Lamb]

In message <uksdq4$18odf$ [e-mail], Ottavio Caruso [e-mail] writes

Not a full pension as I was contracted out when self employed.

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[Ottavio Caruso]

I bought my 1st f&c in 1995 at Miki Fish Bar in Bayswater for £1.20.

[Tim Lamb]

We use a Quooker. No one knows how much a cup of tea costs.

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[mm0fmf]

You could save up and buy a book on how to use a computer.

[GB]

Do I gather that you are 80 and reasonably fit? My congratulations!

[Tim Streater]

I assume the 1/6d was at the chippy, IOW, takeaway. Was the £11 job also takeaway at the chippy?

[Tim Lamb]

If the goalposts stopped moving that might be practical. Sadly, along with the extra 25p comes memory issues:-(

Consider, large scale integration had just reached the TMS9900 when I left manufacturing industry (bearings) to run the family farm.

[Tim Lamb]

Lucky or good choice of parents. Tomorrow I will either be splitting firewood or trimming our garden hedge. Remains to be seen if concussions from Rugby/cycling have any further impacts!

[Sam Plusnet]

It might cover the cost of research to find a bank which is _not_ subject to HMG's scrutiny. You could have your pension paid into an account there.

P.S. If you find a good one, please post the details here.

[Tim Streater]

What is the 25p for, supposedly? I mean, pensioners are supposed to be getting an 8% or something hike next year, so if that's what your 8% is then your pension is only £3 1.5p.

[Tim Lamb]

In message [e-mail]>, Tim Streater [e-mail]> writes

As others have kindly pointed out, this is age related. The event is anticipated in January.

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