Due to the personal Allowance being frozen at £12570 it should be now over £15,000 so I with my State pension and Gov pension which just puts me now into paying tax and in April the State Pension triple lock I will be paying more tax again. When I was on ESA Just before end of October I paid no tax and now they deduct it from my Local Authority Pension and I have also having to pay rent for the first time so they give with one and takeaway with the other, what’s new it has always been like that when working you get a pay rise the more tax and NI and the more overtime i did was not always worth it. I do not mind paying some tax though but obviously it would make the cost of living more helpful if the Personal went up as more and more Pensioners are going to be bought into paying tax on small pension amounts.
I think the personal allowance might go up next year @tim as part of the pre election budget, even though it’s due to be frozen for another 2 years. Either that or a 1p cut in the base rate of tax. Possibly both if finances allow. As you say, the freezing of allowances has been a stealth tax, pushing millions into paying tax and into the 40% band. You are still far better off earning more and paying 20% tax though – as you still keep the other 80%.
Ride on Glos you are right nice to be on State pension as being on ESA was a nightmare.