THE website comment from Alistair Barron in Friday’s edition that “pensioners on the basic state pension are going to start paying tax” is not correct because the basic state pension is so mean.
Although the Personal Tax Allowance of around £12,500 would suggest that that is the minimum needed to live on, my husband’s full basic pension is £8742.76 per year – nearly £4,000 below the tax threshold.
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For the same reason – the meanest benefits, pensions etc in Europe – increases of 10% are not worth very much. These are things already paid for by National Insurance contributions and therefore a right that should never be “sanctioned”.
It is time for a land tax to be introduced in Scotland to help support those on the smallest incomes, that the pumped storage hydro schemes are run all day, instead of five minutes a day (only when the price is high) and that people in Scotland got some benefit from them instead of paying more for electricity generated in Scotland than Londoners who already benefit from the “London allowance”, also paid for by us.
Susan FG Forde
Scotlandwell
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
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