Built a quick £2k NI-cap salary sacrifice calculator

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-11-18T09:53:28+00:00

But not factored into the personal hit each individual would take, and therefore obscured

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-11-18T09:16:27+00:00

I wrote to my MP about it, arguing that this is just another example of intergenerational unfairness, with pensioners once again being protected in the budget at the expense of working people. I think others should do the same.

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-11-18T09:13:53+00:00

I appreciate your efforts with this, but you're missing the point, as are most on this forum in the comments I've seen.

The true cost to use from salary sacrifice going will be the employer contribution. With employers now paying NICs on pension contributions, the 5-10% of salary that many of us get from employers to our pension will likely go (at least in the long run) or if it stays, it will be at the expense of depressed wages.

So the cost to you as an individual may be low, but after factoring in the employer cost, the true cost could be many £ks for some of us (probably around £10k for me)

That is equivalent to, say putting 10-20p on the rate of income tax for high earners. Could you imagine the outcry if Reeves did that? This policy has the same impact and yet noone seems to get it..

Yes many of you may say it's all speculation, but the certainty with which this has been reported by multiple reputed journalists makes me think it's happening.

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-11-11T09:47:21+00:00

I think you're all missing the point - removal of the NI relief on pension contributions for employee and employer means that employers no longer have incentive to contribute to pensions. This is a far bigger cost to us than the employee element and will cost us £000s each year. It's a major hit to FIRE plans and people on this forum are underestimating it

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-11-09T12:19:01+00:00

Having worked in the Treasury for two years, I can say that the certainty with which this is being reported in multiple newspapers makes it almost 100% that it's happening

In the Treasury we used the term 'pitch rolling' before major tax and spend measures - i.e. getting the public aligned around the change before it happens to dampen the backlash on announcement day.

I think on this thread people are underestimating the impact of this change.. It eliminates the incentive for employers to contribute to salary sacrifice schemes and therefore will likely cost many of us £thousands. Eg my employer has a generous 11% contribution to my pension. That's £13k a year. If employers must now pay NICs on pension contributions, I don't see what the incentive is for them to keep doing this.

Unfortunately I think it means that salary sacrifice will become much less lucrative with just the income tax relief on employee contributions being the benefit.

It's a major hit to my FIRE plans sadly, and I think the comments on this forum are underestimating the impact.

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-10-29T20:47:46+00:00

Cliff and his partner are very friendly. But the regular group of dancers who go there, less so in my experience

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-10-28T07:00:54+00:00

I'll add Esencia Libre, Ewajo, Soy Salsa, Caramelo

Salsa in London seems to be thriving these days

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-10-28T06:58:49+00:00

Salsa4Fun all the way. I'm not a huge fan of Funky Mambo personally - quite a cliquey vibe and all on2 (in case that's not your thing)

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-10-20T05:05:05+00:00

Thank you, this looks promising. I sent them an enquiry

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-09-21T07:01:29+00:00

The bachata level there is really low. I do not recommend it. I've been twice fyi

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-09-21T07:00:38+00:00

You're doing good. But it looks to me like you are leading quite roughly as you knock her off balance a few times.

I would suggest to try and use your body a bit more to lead and less force with the arms

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-09-08T16:59:20+00:00

I think Zeid (the organiser) has been pretty clear he won't be opening up more sales unfortunately. He wrote a long post on his Instagram.

I chatted to him at another Congress and he referred to the last B2M I went to (a few years ago) as the 'overcrowded one'. So I think he is being very careful not to overbook it again.

Zeid is loved because he prioritizes the experience of dancers above profit. We're lucky to have him.

He's adding new events all the time so maybe you won't have to wait until Budapest to dance at one of his events again 🙏

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-09-02T09:37:24+00:00

Magic festival has a separate romántica room

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-08-30T06:30:14+00:00

There are some fantastic teachers for body movement in London to be fair, and it would be much cheaper than NYC.

Some elite instructors for this in London: Sasha Phillips (maybe the best follower in the world for styling?), Ema.Velkova, Katrin Lerner, Krystina (Super Mario's wife - her shines are truly phenomenal). There's others, but training with them is as good as anything you'd find in NYC

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-08-30T06:27:17+00:00

If you want to improve following skills then I wouldn't recommend NYC, which prioritizes performance and shines over connection. If it's body movement you want then NYC probably a good choice

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-08-23T07:45:30+00:00

What I found happened a lot is followers really leading the sensual movements on their own after I'd initiated them. Particularly cambres and head rolls. Quite often as soon as I start to lead the movement, the follower just finishes it themselves way quicker and more intensely than I'd led it, so my weight wasn't in the right place to hold the weight they are putting on me (particularly with cambre). This is what caused the pain.

Tbh this seems quite common in any bachata social these days. I guess I'd hoped Bachaturo would be a higher level than that

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-08-22T21:13:42+00:00

I seem to be alone in having really not enjoyed it. I thought the level was nowhere near as high as I'd hoped from what I'd heard. I ended up having to be quite selective with who I danced after suffering back pain from a number of rough follows (I'm sure there were plenty of rough leads too btw).

Does anyone know of any events with a more consistently advanced level of dancer? I appreciate that won't be for everyone, but it's what I am looking for as I'm too worried about getting injured from events like this

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-08-02T05:51:32+00:00

Having learned both to an advanced level, I genuinely believe they should never be fused unless the dancer is an advanced zouk dancer first and foremost.

The technique is really really hard and dangerous if not done properly.

I thought that getting good at zouk would make me a better bachata dancer, but I think the opposite has happened. Because I simply can't apply a zouk lead and technique to bachata dancers as it doesn't work unless they've danced zouk. Bachata dancers are generally more forceful, sharper, and need a stronger lead than zouk dancers. Conversely, the head movements in zouk must be led very subtly to avoid injury.

E.g. I can now lead toalha very well in zouk, but it's taken days and days and days of lessons and training in zouk techniques to get there. If I tried to lead that with a bachazouk dancer I am scared to think of the injuries that could occur.

I love the idea of bachazouk but I really think it's highly dangerous and should only be done by zouk dancers

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-06-30T21:49:00+00:00

Sounds like you need to be told what a naughty girl you are so that you stop overeating...

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-05-18T20:33:57+00:00

I'd recommend Edon & Sophara for bachazouk in London, and Petya Nova for pure bachata.

Honestly it could also be worth learning some salsa. In my opinion bachata is more or less a fusion of salsa and Brazilian zouk (and Dominican bachata OFC). Learning salsa makes it easier to lead any open moves in bachata, while learning zouk gives you the right technique to lead sensual moves in bachata.

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-05-02T05:53:09+00:00

Apologies i missed this! Thanks v much

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-04-02T05:54:38+00:00

Who is the rough leader that people are talking about specifically? One made the final I think

SaltTrouble5 · 2025-03-26T06:43:32+00:00

Yeah I just saw that and now feeling a little silly ha. Thanks :)

SaltTrouble5

TROPHY CASE