Winter fuel allowance

Things in terms of their income are entirely different now.
Didn't realise how much pensions have changed in the last few years. The only change I'm aware of is the price of fuel rocketing.
 
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Can't believe I'm joining in with you lot but I'm intrigued as to where you got them figures from.
Personal experience. For instance, many of the worst ones are multi storey flats which have very few, if any RTBs. They are far too expensive for individual owners to maintain so have been left with HAs and Councils. Very expensive and reaching the end of their lives.
 
Some do, to different extents.
For instance?

The ones gone under RTB tended to be the best ones, a lot of what is left is not in a good state.
Well I mentioned an overspill estate that built loads. They are comfortable well proportioned places Interestingly not a single one of a particular type is up for sale. Terraced with a hall between each house - less problems with noise from neighbours. LOL Some one who lived in one explained that to me.

Actually I think more council houses is a pipe dream due to borrowing needed to build them.
 
There's another way, surely we could house the poorest pensioners in heated Hotels, thus releasing housing stock.

Why has no one thought of such an idea before........ :unsure: :unsure: :unsure:
Forcing them out of their houses you mean ?
 
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I remember reading a book from Jonathon Coe, Number 11 it was called.
It's a collection of short stories, written in in 2015, IIRC, mostly about the social life, typical in UK about that time.
In the one short story, there was a chapter about a young lady, who having had her hours greatly reduced dure to austerity, resorted to travelling full circle on the Number 11 bus in Birmingham, to keep warm.
At first she would simply go full circle on her way home from work on the days that she was working, instead of alighting at her usual stop.
Apparently it got so bad, that she even took to making the journey on her days off, just to keep warm.

I remember that little story well because a friend had recounted to me, a similar practice, it was cheaper than using the heating at home.
On other days they would spend time in the local library, just to keep warm.

Here we are, barely 10 years later, kicking up such a fuss about a winter fuel allowance for pensioners.

Now don't get me wrong, I think everyone should be able to afford to heat their home properly.
But to make such political capital, because it's pensioners, instead of young people in their 20's and 30's with young children, seems to me, just a hook on which to hang a political argument.
 
Then they should call in and someone else will fill it in.
A lot of people find it very frustrating filling things in online and then having to find the right number to call.
The PM is deliberately not updating the pension credit website just to make it difficult for people? There's more hatred for him on here than I thought...
Its disappointing that a man who appeared to have an eye for detail couldn't see this coming, or more likely doesn't care. His negative post election blame the tories approach has a lot of truth behind it but it might bite back sooner than he thinks.
 
Personal experience. For instance, many of the worst ones are multi storey flats which have very few, if any RTBs. They are far too expensive for individual owners to maintain so have been left with HAs and Councils. Very expensive and reaching the end of their lives.
Fair point. I hadn't considered that angle. It is very relevant when those places need pulling down.
I guess looking forward lots of new gaffs need building.
Can't help thinking though that they would still need pulling down if RTB had never happened. They can't of only needed pulling down because some nicer houses up the road were bought?
 
No.
My post was for Labour to both simplify the form, and say FU to the tories.

Labour don't have to choose between the two.
Your point was that the 300 million could be found elsewhere, which misses the point about taxing those who can afford to pay.
 
Your point was that the 300 million could be found elsewhere, which misses the point about taxing those who can afford to pay.

No, it wasn't.

I said "why can't Labour simplify the form, and still blame the tories?"

You made it an either/or thing.
 
Didn't realise how much pensions have changed in the last few years. The only change I'm aware of is the price of fuel rocketing.
Earlier this week it emerged Labour's own research from 2017 found cutting the winter fuel allowance would increase excess deaths by 3,850 that ...

The decision is based on pension increases of late and fuel prices this year compared with last year.
 

Reasons for Decision:

There have been two unsuccessful procurement exercises undertaken to appoint a third party contractor. The service must be brought in house to ensure the continuity of the servicing and maintenance of all properties.
 
It has to the social rental stock. It has gone down 2m so affects people on waiting lists.

Nearer 1m or 1.5m tops, whilst councils may have stopped building, that role has been taken over by HA's.
Not enough, granted, but you're claiming no social housing has been built since 1979.
 
Can't help thinking though that they would still need pulling down if RTB had never happened.
That is of course correct. But a Council/HA with a lot more homes before RTB had a bigger asset base and more scope to invest.

I'm not anti RTB, maybe the discounts were too big, but if Councils/HAs could have replaced a good number of those lost it would have helped.

*Disclaimer: I know the number of properties, overall across the UK, stay roughly the same.*
 
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