I can see that the universal heating subsidy of £300 is not the best targeted but making its abandonment a macho loyalty test was stupid.
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I can see that the universal heating subsidy of £300 is not the best targeted but making its abandonment a macho loyalty test was stupid. £300 for those who pay no income tax, £150 for those who pay basic and £0 for those on higher rate would be a simple, rational balance.
This is though a subsidy to the fossil fuel industry, not to pensioners. All should pay less, by changing the way wholesale energy prices are calculated and by guaranteeing an allowance of low cost energy to all in need.
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@lionelb Exactly. Subsidising rent through housing benefit or subsidising high energy costs are not the answer. You have to tackle the problems at source and sadly that takes a bigger will to upset the status quo and power structure and build in some actual fairness.
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Ditto 'help to buy'. £20,000 in help raises the price and gives the seller a £20,000 bonus courtesy of taxpayers.
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@lionelb Yep. All part of the culture of corporate welfare. In many, many cases we still subsidise privatised companies some of which that used to be nationalised.