In which I get my own back
There has been a little dose of inflation recently as some may have noticed.
Indeed, our Glorious Gubmint noticed and have made a huge fanfare about giving us some relief, in the form of giving us some of our own money back to us,
Now there is one simple way to help with the financial burden and that is to cut VAT on fuel oils or at least postpone their fucking “carbon tax”. This would help home heating and petrol costs which in turn would lower distribution costs and stop price rises in essential supplies. But no. In their infinite wisdom they decided that the zero effect on climate was more important, so the “carbon tax” remains, as does VAT because it’s the law, or somesuch.
Instead they have brought in a raft of measures.
Public transport fairs are to be cut by 20% until the end of the year. This comes into effect in April, so if you get chucked out of your flat or home before then, then tough shit. Surely you can live in abject poverty for another couple of months? This will be great for me though. I get free public transport so I will get 20% cut off my free fare making it even freer. This will be a huge saving as I never use Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann, Dublin Bus, Go Ahead, Luas, DART or Local Link as most of ’em wouldn’t be any use up here in the hills and the rest don’t like dogs.
I am also to get relief on my prescription costs. Seeing as I get all my prescription stuff for nothing this will be another huge saving.
They are also tweaking the Working Family Payment. I have never heard of this one before so it’s unlikely to benefit me. That’s another big saving anyway.
They are paying additional Winter Fuel Allowance too. I applied for this once but apparently it applies only to the Poor Poor. I’m classed as Wealthy Poor or something so I don’t get it. Or maybe I filled out the form incorrectly? One way or another it’s another saving of zero.
They’re knocking €200 of my electricity costs. This one will actually do something. Basically what it means is that they’ll tax me and then spend some of my taxes paying part of my electricity bill. They are giving this to everyone, even those earning half a million or more. It’s nice to think I’m supporting them too?
So that’s inflation sorted then.
We still have VAT on our fuel and our Goverment say it must stay, this is despite the Brexit argument that leaving the EU meant we can and will remove VAT on fuel (and on insulation materials, but they haven’t removed that VAT either).
They will always think of an excuse for not reducing or removing a tax. Why turn off the tap of easy money?
If the property interests did not still have politicians in their pockets, there would have been a massive house building programme, reducing house prices and rents to affordable levels meaning people could deal with bills themselves without the government needing to give us back our own money.