@steber2.bsky.social
A big win for all those over 65's with more than 12k p.a. of income they don't need to use now, but firmly plan to spend in its entirety within the next 3 or 4 years.
November 26, 2025 at 1:01 PM
A big win for all those over 65's with more than 12k p.a. of income they don't need to use now, but firmly plan to spend in its entirety within the next 3 or 4 years.
Reposted
According to @ukhsa.bsky.social this season’s vaccines are offering effective protection against severe flu:
Children around 70 to 75% less likely to attend / be admitted to hospital with flu if vaccinated
Adults around 30 to 40% less likely to attend / be admitted.
ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2025/11/11/h...
Children around 70 to 75% less likely to attend / be admitted to hospital with flu if vaccinated
Adults around 30 to 40% less likely to attend / be admitted.
ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2025/11/11/h...
How well will I be protected from flu this year with the current UK influenza vaccines?
Every winter, influenza viruses sweep through communities, causing a seasonal epidemic. There are several different flu vaccines that are used in the national vaccination programme and all of them pro...
ukhsa.blog.gov.uk
November 11, 2025 at 5:09 PM
According to @ukhsa.bsky.social this season’s vaccines are offering effective protection against severe flu:
Children around 70 to 75% less likely to attend / be admitted to hospital with flu if vaccinated
Adults around 30 to 40% less likely to attend / be admitted.
ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2025/11/11/h...
Children around 70 to 75% less likely to attend / be admitted to hospital with flu if vaccinated
Adults around 30 to 40% less likely to attend / be admitted.
ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2025/11/11/h...
Reposted
📊 #IFSSatStat: The OBR’s productivity forecast at the Budget will be a major driver of the fiscal outlook. Since 2010, however, those forecasts have been too optimistic – a downgrade is widely expected.
October 25, 2025 at 8:01 AM
📊 #IFSSatStat: The OBR’s productivity forecast at the Budget will be a major driver of the fiscal outlook. Since 2010, however, those forecasts have been too optimistic – a downgrade is widely expected.
This is one of the many issues caused by having a social safety net that's so much more generous after state pension age than before. Everyone wants access to the older-age benefits/tax rates ASAP.
Should those in physically demanding manual labour jobs have a lower state pension age?
Definitely/probably should: 61%
Definitely/probably should not: 23%
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
Definitely/probably should: 61%
Definitely/probably should not: 23%
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
October 23, 2025 at 5:49 PM
This is one of the many issues caused by having a social safety net that's so much more generous after state pension age than before. Everyone wants access to the older-age benefits/tax rates ASAP.
Reposted
Switching 2p from National Insurance to Income Tax could raise £6 billion while protecting workers’ pay packets.
Here's what you need to know 👇 👇 👇
Here's what you need to know 👇 👇 👇
September 25, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Switching 2p from National Insurance to Income Tax could raise £6 billion while protecting workers’ pay packets.
Here's what you need to know 👇 👇 👇
Here's what you need to know 👇 👇 👇
The most important takeaway from today's pay growth figures: the step-up in the generosity of benefits at state pension age is widening.
Increasing both the financial impact of the state pension age review, and the pressure on it to pull up the drawbridge on younger generations.
Increasing both the financial impact of the state pension age review, and the pressure on it to pull up the drawbridge on younger generations.
Finally, today’s 4.7% total pay growth figure will set next year’s state pension increase: set to rise £11 per week. Working-age benefits will likely rise by less (linked to Sep inflation), so the triple lock is again set to increase the gap in state support for pensioners versus younger people.
September 16, 2025 at 3:35 PM
The most important takeaway from today's pay growth figures: the step-up in the generosity of benefits at state pension age is widening.
Increasing both the financial impact of the state pension age review, and the pressure on it to pull up the drawbridge on younger generations.
Increasing both the financial impact of the state pension age review, and the pressure on it to pull up the drawbridge on younger generations.
I wonder how many of these 7 million households would be receiving the benefits they're entitled to, if we stopped means testing them and raised income tax instead.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
September 13, 2025 at 8:19 AM
I wonder how many of these 7 million households would be receiving the benefits they're entitled to, if we stopped means testing them and raised income tax instead.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
The well-intentioned lie that pensions "tax relief" is a giveaway continues to cause harm.
Pensions "tax relief" just means that those who save for a full retirement, don't face higher income taxes than someone who partially retires instead. Ideas to cut it would arbitrarily incentivise the latter.
Pensions "tax relief" just means that those who save for a full retirement, don't face higher income taxes than someone who partially retires instead. Ideas to cut it would arbitrarily incentivise the latter.
Reeves’s £50bn problem solved: stop giving it away in pension tax relief | Phillip Inman
Reeves’s £50bn problem solved: stop giving it away in pension tax relief | Phillip Inman
Older people would save anyway if state support was more limited, and overhaul of council tax would net billions more
www.theguardian.com
September 8, 2025 at 6:28 AM
The well-intentioned lie that pensions "tax relief" is a giveaway continues to cause harm.
Pensions "tax relief" just means that those who save for a full retirement, don't face higher income taxes than someone who partially retires instead. Ideas to cut it would arbitrarily incentivise the latter.
Pensions "tax relief" just means that those who save for a full retirement, don't face higher income taxes than someone who partially retires instead. Ideas to cut it would arbitrarily incentivise the latter.
The Telegraph is correct, but for exactly the wrong reasons; the triple "lock" ratchet applied to pensioner benefits, by far the highest welfare cost, is indeed unsustainable.
September 5, 2025 at 8:59 AM
The Telegraph is correct, but for exactly the wrong reasons; the triple "lock" ratchet applied to pensioner benefits, by far the highest welfare cost, is indeed unsustainable.
A lengthy post setting out what's wrong with current UK pensions, and what's needed to fix it.
I don't agree with its suggestions on tax, but otherwise it hits the nail on the head, well worth reading!
I don't agree with its suggestions on tax, but otherwise it hits the nail on the head, well worth reading!
"A different view on CDC" - something new from the Tontine Crew? henrytapper.com/2025/08/30/a... “Rewrite the rules on Collective Defined Contribution CDC and switch to fair longevity risk pooling”.
“A different view on CDC” – something new from the Tontine Crew?
The following pension was produced yesterday by Russ Oxley, part of the “Tontine crew” as they’re known in my brain! See what you think of his approach to CDC and whether CDC can …
henrytapper.com
August 30, 2025 at 9:18 AM
A lengthy post setting out what's wrong with current UK pensions, and what's needed to fix it.
I don't agree with its suggestions on tax, but otherwise it hits the nail on the head, well worth reading!
I don't agree with its suggestions on tax, but otherwise it hits the nail on the head, well worth reading!
A neat illustration of why it's not a good idea for the state safety net to become much more generous at age 67.
For this week's TOTC, @teraallas.bsky.social has stepped in as guest editor - pondering productivity, wellbeing and... our potential future robot overlords?
COTW assesses how disposable incomes are related to healthy life expectancy around the UK ⤵️
buff.ly/uVgwqS3
COTW assesses how disposable incomes are related to healthy life expectancy around the UK ⤵️
buff.ly/uVgwqS3
August 10, 2025 at 10:33 AM
A neat illustration of why it's not a good idea for the state safety net to become much more generous at age 67.
Good to see the risk for those on low incomes of oversaving for retirement being highlighted.
Auto-enrolment should be set up so it's clear to people if they're likely to be in that bucket or not: if you're being auto-enrolled, it should be likely you're not in it.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Auto-enrolment should be set up so it's clear to people if they're likely to be in that bucket or not: if you're being auto-enrolled, it should be likely you're not in it.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Pensions: 'Why I'm one of millions of UK adults not paying in'
Almost half of UK adults do not pay into a private or workplace pension - some of them tell us why.
www.bbc.com
July 27, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Good to see the risk for those on low incomes of oversaving for retirement being highlighted.
Auto-enrolment should be set up so it's clear to people if they're likely to be in that bucket or not: if you're being auto-enrolled, it should be likely you're not in it.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Auto-enrolment should be set up so it's clear to people if they're likely to be in that bucket or not: if you're being auto-enrolled, it should be likely you're not in it.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
This is, by comparison, how likely the Office for National Statistics thinks it is that people will die by those ages.
Not a new observation, but people do seem to underestimate how long they're going to live for. Interesting though that people have a good grasp of how likely they are to reach 100!
Not a new observation, but people do seem to underestimate how long they're going to live for. Interesting though that people have a good grasp of how likely they are to reach 100!
July 23, 2025 at 8:27 PM
This is, by comparison, how likely the Office for National Statistics thinks it is that people will die by those ages.
Not a new observation, but people do seem to underestimate how long they're going to live for. Interesting though that people have a good grasp of how likely they are to reach 100!
Not a new observation, but people do seem to underestimate how long they're going to live for. Interesting though that people have a good grasp of how likely they are to reach 100!
A rare IFS report yesterday, in that I largely disagree with it. In particular, it:
1. Suggests a bigger gap between working age & pensioner benefits;
2. Say many will miss out on target replacement rates, but not who/why (AE seems sufficient, so opt-outs/self-employed?)
ifs.org.uk/sites/defaul...
1. Suggests a bigger gap between working age & pensioner benefits;
2. Say many will miss out on target replacement rates, but not who/why (AE seems sufficient, so opt-outs/self-employed?)
ifs.org.uk/sites/defaul...
July 3, 2025 at 8:07 PM
A rare IFS report yesterday, in that I largely disagree with it. In particular, it:
1. Suggests a bigger gap between working age & pensioner benefits;
2. Say many will miss out on target replacement rates, but not who/why (AE seems sufficient, so opt-outs/self-employed?)
ifs.org.uk/sites/defaul...
1. Suggests a bigger gap between working age & pensioner benefits;
2. Say many will miss out on target replacement rates, but not who/why (AE seems sufficient, so opt-outs/self-employed?)
ifs.org.uk/sites/defaul...
The PLSA have announced their latest "retirement living standards", expenditure thresholds for "minimum", "moderate" & "comfortable" retirements.
As always, they look very high: they'd make most people better off after retirement than before, likely over saving
www.retirementlivingstandards.org.uk
As always, they look very high: they'd make most people better off after retirement than before, likely over saving
www.retirementlivingstandards.org.uk
June 3, 2025 at 8:42 PM
The PLSA have announced their latest "retirement living standards", expenditure thresholds for "minimum", "moderate" & "comfortable" retirements.
As always, they look very high: they'd make most people better off after retirement than before, likely over saving
www.retirementlivingstandards.org.uk
As always, they look very high: they'd make most people better off after retirement than before, likely over saving
www.retirementlivingstandards.org.uk
Reposted
Very informative chart from Washington Post
April 11, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Very informative chart from Washington Post
Reposted
“The risk is that it’s precisely the individuals receiving health-related benefits that are least responsive to financial incentives to work, and perhaps most in need of extra financial support.”
Read our full response here: ifs.org.uk/articles/ifs...
Read our full response here: ifs.org.uk/articles/ifs...
March 18, 2025 at 5:59 PM
“The risk is that it’s precisely the individuals receiving health-related benefits that are least responsive to financial incentives to work, and perhaps most in need of extra financial support.”
Read our full response here: ifs.org.uk/articles/ifs...
Read our full response here: ifs.org.uk/articles/ifs...
100% agree. Means testing: it's always a bad idea.
We essentially have two parallel tax codes in this country. We have the IRS one, which is pretty progressive and free of hard cliffs. And then we have a web of welfare state ones, many of which do act the way people assume income taxes work. In an ideal world, we'd merge the latter into the former.
the fun thing is that there actually are cliffs like this but they're benefit cliffs at the low end of the income distribution, not tax cliffs at the high end.
March 17, 2025 at 7:53 AM
100% agree. Means testing: it's always a bad idea.
One of these groups has their benefits "triple locked". The others are having their benefits cut.
It still shocks me that we're actively widening this divide.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
It still shocks me that we're actively widening this divide.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
March 15, 2025 at 8:53 AM
One of these groups has their benefits "triple locked". The others are having their benefits cut.
It still shocks me that we're actively widening this divide.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
It still shocks me that we're actively widening this divide.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
The important thing being the terms on which those future claims are bought, and the extent to which they're adjusted later on if, in hindsight, those terms look to have been overly generous / penal.
Elon Musk just called Social Security a Ponzi scheme, so it’s worth reiterating: All functional retirement schemes, public or private, pre funded or pay as you go, are claims on future production - there's just no way, at scale, of storing current production for use during retirement
March 1, 2025 at 7:18 PM
The important thing being the terms on which those future claims are bought, and the extent to which they're adjusted later on if, in hindsight, those terms look to have been overly generous / penal.
Really enjoyed this piece, on a fundamental truth that's (sadly) important to today's politics: taxing imports is the same thing as taxing exports.
February 21, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Really enjoyed this piece, on a fundamental truth that's (sadly) important to today's politics: taxing imports is the same thing as taxing exports.
If you want to compare the cost of living between countries, you can't use normal exchange rates: you need to use PPPs (Purchasing Power Parity exchange rates).
PPPs are averages for entire countries: if you're interested in less well off (or more well off) people, turns out you need different PPPs
PPPs are averages for entire countries: if you're interested in less well off (or more well off) people, turns out you need different PPPs
Why is it more expensive to be poor in Britain?
Low-to-middle income households in Britain fare worse than their German. French and Dutch counterparts.
Low-to-middle income households in Britain fare worse than their German. French and Dutch counterparts.
February 16, 2025 at 10:30 AM
If you want to compare the cost of living between countries, you can't use normal exchange rates: you need to use PPPs (Purchasing Power Parity exchange rates).
PPPs are averages for entire countries: if you're interested in less well off (or more well off) people, turns out you need different PPPs
PPPs are averages for entire countries: if you're interested in less well off (or more well off) people, turns out you need different PPPs
I'm really glad this point is being made.
Defined benefit pensions died in 2003, when they were retrospectively guaranteed. Very few people want to pay the costs of those guarantees, so very few people now have DB pensions.
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/40...
Defined benefit pensions died in 2003, when they were retrospectively guaranteed. Very few people want to pay the costs of those guarantees, so very few people now have DB pensions.
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/40...
February 16, 2025 at 10:07 AM
I'm really glad this point is being made.
Defined benefit pensions died in 2003, when they were retrospectively guaranteed. Very few people want to pay the costs of those guarantees, so very few people now have DB pensions.
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/40...
Defined benefit pensions died in 2003, when they were retrospectively guaranteed. Very few people want to pay the costs of those guarantees, so very few people now have DB pensions.
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/40...
Really like the focus here on starting with a view on the role of the state, and building from there.
State institutions exist for people who cannot afford to take risks. They are meant to be the safety nets for when things go wrong or to build resource so they don’t. For heavens’ sake, in an age of insecurity the last thing we need is more of it! Buffers, building resilience is what is needed now.
February 9, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Really like the focus here on starting with a view on the role of the state, and building from there.
Reposted
I wondered why as a kid I never had tenderstem broccoli, but rather the fat stuff. TIL, it was only invented in the 90s, as a new hybrid, and is a registered trademark
February 8, 2025 at 11:34 PM
I wondered why as a kid I never had tenderstem broccoli, but rather the fat stuff. TIL, it was only invented in the 90s, as a new hybrid, and is a registered trademark