25p a week

Edward Heath organised this 'huge' bonus for 80 year-olds in 1971, and it has remained the same ever since. I will be 80 in July, and received a letter last week telling me that my pension will go up by the princely sum of £3.72 on 8th April, and my 25p will be added after my birthday.
The rise has already been well swallowed up by increasing bills, so I won't be splurging my extra cash, but tightening my belt a little more.
At least I don't have to pay for any refuse removal. Wigan Council are one of the best in the country. In spite of the Government forcing them to make huge cuts to their budget they do a very good job, in the circumstances. All garden and food waste is collected, free of charge, composted and sold. There will also be minimal rate rises this year, though I would rather pay a little extra for improved services to the needy.

25p in 1971 = £2.47 now. It would buy you a cup of coffee out once a week.

Just imaging the luxury of being able to buy a cup of coffee every three months.

Oh, your fortunate ones, who pay to have garden waste collected!

We have to lump it to the dump ourselves.

It cost more writing and sending the letter than 25p. I should think.

Do enjoy yourselves on the extra pension money, won't you?

Watch out everyone. He will be out on the town, 25p in his pocket and raring to go. Honestly, what an insult. It must cost more in administration surely. Either scrap it or make it worthwhile.

I'm still seething that my pension, which I was told when I was contributing would be given to me when I was 60, was taken away and moved to 66. Without much prior notice. If you took out a savings plan and was told you couldn't have what you'd paid in when you expected it, it would be fraud. I paid in, I expected it. I'm lucky that I'm well provided for but on a principle for those women who have had to work for years longer, sometimes with health problems, it's an utter disgrace.

We are lucky re garden waste (big garden) we pay for a wheelie bin collection fortnightly (£45 p.a.). We have 4 overflow bins additionally, then during the winter, when garden has less waste, we fill the wheelie up from the overflow bins so they are empty for the following season. It's SO worth the money. Our council don't provide wheelie bins for rubbish though and only one recycle sack that doesn't take glass or foodstuffs. So we have to go to recycling centre for those. But we think they are wonderful as we still get a weekly rubbish collection. Free bags. And the wheelie for the garden refuse. So a good service.

Well, hope he doesn't go mad with the luxury cruises. Isn't it an insult! What will it cost in administration charges? Wonder what would happen if he did complain, probably would end up owing the DWP.

That did make me laugh Watermelon

Sorry, Watermeadow

Keep Calm and Carry On - I hope you can both cope with such a startling change in circumstances.

Many years ago l remember a neighbour of my parents saying she could just about buy a loaf of bread with her 25p extra per week. 22 years ago when my Mum got her extra 25p she said she supposed it would buy a first class postage stamp. If I make it to 80 (5 years time) I doubt if it will even pay for a small bread roll.

I have a small UK pension which increases every April, today I received information I am to receive the princely sum of £1.0p, this is the increase from 2018, so hey £4 a month to spend, better than 25p per week.I am looking forward to my spending spree in April!

Those of you having problems with garden refuse, is it practical for you to have a compost bin? It solves the disposal problems, and provides good food for your plants. Some Councils provide them cheaply, or you can often pick them up at car-boot sales if you don't want to spend a lot.
I have always composted all my garden and kitchen waste, until last year when I decided that I was getting too old to shovel and wheelbarrow it around the garden.
We are provided with 4 bins. General waste, paper and card, recyclables like bottles, cans and some plastics, and garden waste. They take up rather a lot of space, but we can choose to have either large or small bins, according to our needs.

GreenGran78
I have two compost bins, one heap, and another heap of leafmould on the go. Everything soft goes into these and is recycled around my garden. I still have loads of twiggy remains to dispose of and as soon as my garden refuse bin is emptied I fill it up again. Fortunately I have neighbours who are not keen gardeners so I borrow their bins when needed.
Spring and Autumn are the worst, summer I rarely have anything to be collected.
P.s. I don't have a particularly large garden as I live in a city.

I’d put in it a piggy bank for a whole year and then blow the lot £13 on a .........???

compost bin, Anja?

What I wouldn't give for 52 quid a year extra !! Lucky.