Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 29-8-2022 — Michael Jackson

29th August, 2022.

It’s officially Monday.

In point of fact … ?   It’s a bank holiday Monday.

So … ?

Well, hopefully, the trains will be quiet!

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If you’re in the UK … ?

You’ll know that the Tory party are having a leadership election: after Boris Johnson resigned as both leader and Prime Minister.

Given the energy prices crisis?   Both leadership contenders have been making various claims about what they’d done, if named as leader.

One, Liz Truss, is reportedly looking at lowering VAT, Value Added Tax, on fuel.

Personally?

I don’t think a VAT cut will help.

Because?   I don’t think energy companies will lower their prices as a result.

Instead, they’ll keep prices where they are: as a VAT cut will hand them more profits.

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Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 27-5-2022 — Vincent

27th May, 2022

Right … 

I’m unemployed: and claim various benefits.

It’s a struggle: as I’m sure you can imagine.

During the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic — over 2020 and 2021 — those of us own Universal Credit received and extra twenty pounds a week.

Something that amounted to a welcome eighty-six pounds a month.   (About €101/US$108, at today’s prices.)

It was damn useful, very appreciated … and withdrawn late last year.

Ever since?   I — as many others — have found things difficult.

Especially as fuel prices have taken a turn for the worst.

Yesterday?

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that households are to received a four hundred pound discount on their fuel bill.

And those households in most need will receive an extra six hundred and fifty pound grant: half in October, half in July.

The article doesn’t say which July: 2022 or 2023!

At any rate … ?

It’s a welcome — ish — move.

I should gain a total of £1050, under the plans.   (About €1233/US$1325, at today’s prices.)

Thirty pounds less than the Uplift gave me.

It’s also paid in various forms of lump sum: when frankly, so much a week extra on Universal Credit would be more useful.

It’s … 

Well, I’ll have to thank Mr Sunak for making the effort.

But, frankly?   A restored uplift would have been handier.

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