P&O Cruisers - What are things like where YOU are?

[terrierjohn]

7 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Yes, but any increase will be wiped out by rising costs elsewhere. 

As an aside, I stopped working when I was 53. No pension (state or private)  - grateful to finally achieve 65 and start getting my money back !

But at least it means you will not have to top up your spending money from your savings by as much.

[wowzz]

6 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

But at least it means you will not have to top up your spending money from your savings by as much.

Agreed. 

 

[Snow Hill]

7 hours ago, wowzz said:

Yes, but any increase will be wiped out by rising costs elsewhere. 

As an aside, I stopped working when I was 53. No pension (state or private)  - grateful to finally achieve 65 and start getting my money back !

And some pensioners with a state pension and a small private pension will be dragged into paying income tax on their pensions as they go over the personal allowance threshold, which was frozen at £12570 last April, had it risen with inflation as normal would be £13,840. 

[Harry Peterson]

3 minutes ago, Snow Hill said:

And some pensioners with a state pension and a small private pension will be dragged into paying income tax on their pensions as they go over the personal allowance threshold, which was frozen at £12570 last April, had it risen with inflation as normal would be £13,840. 

Very true - the freezing of tax thresholds and allowances is, I suspect, going to come as quite a shock to a lot of people as they/we find ourselves dragged into paying a lot more tax, and higher rate tax.  The 20% basic tax rate is a myth these days, when such a large percentage of middle income earners will now be paying higher rate taxes once charged only on the rich.

[pete14]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

Very true - the freezing of tax thresholds and allowances is, I suspect, going to come as quite a shock to a lot of people as they/we find ourselves dragged into paying a lot more tax, and higher rate tax.  The 20% basic tax rate is a myth these days, when such a large percentage of middle income earners will now be paying higher rate taxes once charged only on the rich.

I read yesterday that the road fund licence (car tax) will rise by 10.1% next month, something else (along with alcohol and tobacco duty etc and the freezing of income tax thresholds) that is normally announced in the budget but wasn’t last week. ☹️

[Rupert2251]

17 minutes ago, pete14 said:

I read yesterday that the road fund licence (car tax) will rise by 10.1% next month, something else (along with alcohol and tobacco duty etc and the freezing of income tax thresholds) that is normally announced in the budget but wasn’t last week. ☹️

I believe that the tax thresholds were frozen last year until 2028!

[Snow Hill]

14 minutes ago, Rupert2251 said:

I believe that the tax thresholds were frozen last year until 2028!

True, Hunt extended it by 2 years in November, of course that could change following the next General Election. 

[Snow Hill]

55 minutes ago, pete14 said:

I read yesterday that the road fund licence (car tax) will rise by 10.1% next month, something else (along with alcohol and tobacco duty etc and the freezing of income tax thresholds) that is normally announced in the budget but wasn’t last week. ☹️

The new Alcohol Bill will restructure the duty paid and it will be based on alcohol content, so the stronger the drink the higher the duty, it is due to apply from August. 
 

A good excuse to max out duty free allowance. 

Edited March 20, 2023 by Snow Hill

[Adawn47]

52 minutes ago, pete14 said:

I read yesterday that the road fund licence (car tax) will rise by 10.1% next month, something else (along with alcohol and tobacco duty etc and the freezing of income tax thresholds) that is normally announced in the budget but wasn’t last week. ☹️

Not forgetting rising council tax, electricity, gas and water rates next month either😒

Avril

[Rupert2251]

6 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Not forgetting rising council tax, electricity, gas and water rates next month either😒

Avril

Also TV licence increasing April 2024 from £159 to £172 a year. JUST TO WATCH FOOTBALL!!!

[Snow Hill]

10 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Not forgetting rising council tax, electricity, gas and water rates next month either😒

Avril

Fortunately my LA has frozen Council Tax for the 2nd year running, the only increase on that bill will the Adult Care Levy, Police and Fire precepts. 
 

As for gas and electricity although the EPG has been frozen at £2,500, people will not be getting the £66/£67 rebate as that ends in March, so this will be a big increase for many as not many are seeing their wages going up by the rate of inflation. 

[brian1]

7 minutes ago, Rupert2251 said:

Also TV licence increasing April 2024 from £159 to £172 a year. JUST TO WATCH FOOTBALL!!!

Don't forget Eastenders,doof ,doof, doof.

[terrierjohn]

1 minute ago, Snow Hill said:

Fortunately my LA has frozen Council Tax for the 2nd year running, the only increase on that bill will the Adult Care Levy, Police and Fire precepts. 
 

As for gas and electricity although the EPG has been frozen at £2,500, people will not be getting the £66/£67 rebate as that ends in March, so this will be a big increase for many as not many are seeing their wages going up by the rate of inflation. 

I thought the energy rebate had also been extended to cover the second quarter.

[Harry Peterson]

2 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I thought the energy rebate had also been extended to cover the second quarter.

Nope.

[Snow Hill]

15 minutes ago, Rupert2251 said:

Also TV licence increasing April 2024 from £159 to £172 a year. JUST TO WATCH FOOTBALL!!!

Plus of course many of other excellent Programs and Radio stations. The vast majority of football is not on the BBC. 

[pete14]

16 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

If we don't expect tax to increase, how do we expect the govt, any govt, to be able to increase public sector wages and spending?

You make a good point but my main area of concern is that in the past, levels of duty and taxation for the coming year were announced in the budget. This year they were not because those decisions had already been taken as part of a long term strategy. The budget contained no mention or reference to most of them.

[Adawn47]

1 hour ago, Snow Hill said:

Fortunately my LA has frozen Council Tax for the 2nd year running, the only increase on that bill will the Adult Care Levy, Police and Fire precepts. 
 

As for gas and electricity although the EPG has been frozen at £2,500, people will not be getting the £66/£67 rebate as that ends in March, so this will be a big increase for many as not many are seeing their wages going up by the rate of inflation. 

A quick calculation of monies in against outgoings(April 2023) and we personally will be approx £4 mth better off. I'm not complaining, just thankful that we have have broken even, as I know many other will be worse off.

Avril 

Edited March 20, 2023 by Adawn47

[Son of Anarchy]

3 hours ago, pete14 said:

I read yesterday that the road fund licence (car tax) will rise by 10.1% next month, something else (along with alcohol and tobacco duty etc and the freezing of income tax thresholds) that is normally announced in the budget but wasn’t last week. ☹️

Glad I taxed the bike this month, even though I've really only needed the tax for at best 3 days this month.

[Ardennais]

3 hours ago, Snow Hill said:

Plus of course many of other excellent Programs and Radio stations. The vast majority of football is not on the BBC. 

I think the BBC licence fee is exceptionally good value. 

[bobstheboy]

2 hours ago, davecttr said:

It is a neat system once you understand it.. They get someone else to do the tax collection for them, simply by reducing your tax code allowance by the value of your state pension. However there are several people I know who still don't understand.

 

On a brighter note my state pension will increase by 14% in April. Yes the basic pension will increase by 10.1% but there are several other things on my pension notice that go back decades and I have never heard of 🤑

Thanks for explaining the larger than 10.1% I was notified. I still don't know why, but like many my age, I have bits and pieces added on which started and stopped many years ago ie graduated pension. 

[P&O SUE]

Hello all, too much to read all I’ve missed I’m afraid.

I might be finally putting back our October cruise today - I keep putting it off but having to pay the final balance 3 months before puts me off. I’ve finally found one both of us agree on - 2 weeks on Arvia in September 2024! 
I did pay the final balance on our 4 night cruise in June last week so fingers crossed we get to go!

[P&O SUE]

I hope everyone had nice weekends - we had our son, partner and grandson over Saturday and my Mum and Dad on Sunday. Very nice family weekend that flew by. I did well with my Mother’s Day presents - flowers, chocolates and some pink Prosecco! The boy did well!

[Adawn47]

Good morning everyone😊

Well it's the 1st day of Spring, the clocks go forward at the weekend and it's a mild 11c even if a little cloudy. I'm trying to stay positive and get myself motivated, but it's taking longer than I had anticipated for my knee and leg to heal from my stupid fall. It's our grandson's wedding on March 31st so🤞. Anyhoo, that's enough of my whinging.

@P&O SUE I hope your mum and dad are both doing well now Sue and it's eased a some of your worries.

Have a good day everyone and enjoy the 1st day of Spring💐

Take care.

Avril

 

 

[Snow Hill]

12 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Good morning everyone😊

Well it's the 1st day of Spring, the clocks go forward at the weekend and it's a mild 11c even if a little cloudy. I'm trying to stay positive and get myself motivated, but it's taking longer than I had anticipated for my knee and leg to heal from my stupid fall. It's our grandson's wedding on March 31st so🤞. Anyhoo, that's enough of my whinging.

@P&O SUE I hope your mum and dad are both doing well now Sue and it's eased a some of your worries.

Have a good day everyone and enjoy the 1st day of Spring💐

Take care.

Avril

 

 

That was yesterday 

 

https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-spring-vernal-equinox

[Josy1953]

23 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Good morning everyone😊

Well it's the 1st day of Spring, the clocks go forward at the weekend and it's a mild 11c even if a little cloudy. I'm trying to stay positive and get myself motivated, but it's taking longer than I had anticipated for my knee and leg to heal from my stupid fall. It's our grandson's wedding on March 31st so🤞. Anyhoo, that's enough of my whinging.

@P&O SUE I hope your mum and dad are both doing well now Sue and it's eased a some of your worries.

Have a good day everyone and enjoy the 1st day of Spring💐

Take care.

Avril

 

 

Rest that knee and leg so that you can show everyone how to dance at you grandson's wedding.  March the 31st had better be a nice sunny day for the wedding photographs. 

My mum told me that March 31st 1953 was a lovely spring day, she remembered it well because she was busy giving birth to me. 🤣