Winter fuel allowance

[Trazor]

Apparently, it may cost more to fully implement means testing, than to continue paying the £300 to every one.

Chancellor makes 'mistake' with Winter Fuel Payment - but she has chance to make corrections

Rachel Reeves has announced plans to means test the Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners - but with many elderly people set to miss out while still on lower incomes, it could cause headaches for the government when MPs return to parliament.

news.sky.com

 

[Notch7]

Apparently, it may cost more to fully implement means testing, than to continue paying the £300 to every one.

Chancellor makes 'mistake' with Winter Fuel Payment - but she has chance to make corrections

Rachel Reeves has announced plans to means test the Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners - but with many elderly people set to miss out while still on lower incomes, it could cause headaches for the government when MPs return to parliament.

news.sky.com

The system at the moment is wrong, there are lots of pensioners who really don’t need the WFP

But at the same time, there are lots of pensioners that don’t get pension credit but are struggling….it was a major mistake by Labour stopping the WFP without addressing those struggling

We need a better system


Is there no existing means test for tax that would address it?

 

[Notch7]

Let’s not forget….if Tories hadn’t privatised the energy sector, this country wouldn’t have seen massive energy rises.

Energy bills in France didn’t go up by over 100% …..but the French govt own EDF that supplies all the leccy

 

[ellal]

Apparently, it may cost more to fully implement means testing, than to continue paying the £300 to every one.

But that's the reason for bureaucracy...

Jobs for the boys/girls and sod everyone else...

It's the same for tuition fees...

It would be cheaper for the taxpayer not to have them, but then your average taxpayer is easily conned

 

[Notch7]

I wish the govt would give me some money off my energy bill….about £800 a year takes it back to what I used to pay

 

[ReganAndCarter]

Let’s not forget….if Tories hadn’t privatised the energy sector, this country wouldn’t have seen massive energy rises.

Energy bills in France didn’t go up by over 100% …..but the French govt own EDF that supplies all the leccy

Crazy letting our vital services fall into foreign hands. As a service, it shouldn't be turning a profit or paying dividends to shareholders. Foreign owners only want to invest the bare minimum on short term grid, etc improvements as anything else would upset shareholders. THis is also having diasterous effects in the water industry.

Electricity is cheaper in France, because they own their energy cos. The French often use electricity to heat their homes which are also usually larger than UK homes. We would avoid this, but it's still viable in France due to cheaper electricity. Wondering if they also have the same tree hugger taxes loaded onto their bills like we do by politicians. A form of socialist wealth redistribution, poss going into third world climate change aid black hole. Politicians = traitors.

 

[ellal]

Crazy letting our vital services fall into foreign hands. As a service, it shouldn't be turning a profit or paying dividends to shareholders. Foreign owners only want to invest the bare minimum on short term grid, etc improvements as anything else would upset shareholders. THis is also having diasterous effects in the water industry.

Electricity is cheaper in France, because they own their energy cos. The French often use electricity to heat their homes which are also usually larger than UK homes. We would avoid this, but it's still viable in France due to cheaper electricity.

If you admire the French so much, how come you claim that "The Brexit benefits are next to the pot of gold" ?

Politicians = traitors.

Brexit Politicians = traitors

Corrected for you

 

[ReganAndCarter]

If you admire the French so much, how come you claim that "The Brexit benefits are next to the pot of gold" ?

??

You do understand I'm critisizing Brexit when I say that, don't you?? Not praising it?? As in the benefits are next to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The gold doesn't exist - ergo neither do the Brexit benefits.

I think you're confused, dear.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

Let’s not forget….if Tories hadn’t privatised the energy sector, this country wouldn’t have seen massive energy rises.

Energy bills in France didn’t go up by over 100% …..but the French govt own EDF that supplies all the leccy

Arguing over the allowance and who gets it or not is just a smokescreen

 

[Mottie]

 

[diy_fun_uk]

The system at the moment is wrong, there are lots of pensioners who really don’t need the WFP

But at the same time, there are lots of pensioners that don’t get pension credit but are struggling….it was a major mistake by Labour stopping the WFP without addressing those struggling

We need a better system


Is there no existing means test for tax that would address it?

OT but related to the thread.

Up here in Scotland the SNP is apparently reviewing things like 'free' prescriptions for all, due to the financial black hole that needs filled.

It was a good vote winner for them when introduced, however in reality many people didn't and don't need free prescriptions. I've been saying for ages they should reintroduce even a nominal charge for most people e.g. £1 or £2 per prescription item.

My mum has lost the WFP however in reality she doesn't need it.

 

[Mottie]

Apparently, it may cost more to fully implement means testing, than to continue paying the £300 to every one.

Chancellor makes 'mistake' with Winter Fuel Payment - but she has chance to make corrections

Rachel Reeves has announced plans to means test the Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners - but with many elderly people set to miss out while still on lower incomes, it could cause headaches for the government when MPs return to parliament.

news.sky.com

While I agree that those that can afford it shouldn’t get the heating allowance, I saw on the TV news the other day that there were 808,000 people that should be claiming pension credit that aren’t. They said that if they all claimed (and this means testing for heating allowance may cause them to do so), it will cost something like £2.2 billion a year and that’s without all the administrative costs that go with it. Sometimes a saving is not a saving!

 

[diy_fun_uk]

Crazy letting our vital services fall into foreign hands.

I don't agree with you on much, however on this I do.

 

[denso13]

It was a good vote winner for them when introduced, however in reality many people didn't and don't need free prescriptions. I've been saying for ages they should reintroduce even a nominal charge for most people e.g. £1 or £2 per prescription item.

My mum has lost the WFP however in reality she doesn't need it.

Agree on all of that, people are getting hand outs when most people don't actually need it.

 

[ajohn]

There is another aspect - what energy suppliers are allowed to do when payments aren't or can't be met. What effect it has - pass. There are all sorts of ofgem etc comments on the subject. Overall it sounds bitty and messy to me but they are there.