Winter Fuel Payment

[Trazor]

Mick and Elton don't need it.

Award for the most pointless observation this year goes to Denso13.

 

[Notch7]

Do keep up it was labour who introduced winter fuel payments in 1997

Go to idiots corner and face the wall

Conservatives introduced austerity for a decade….but they kept pensioners sweet
Conservatives introduced 2 child cap but they kept pensioners sweet
Conservatives between 2019 and 2024 put £80b of tax rises….but they keep pensioners sweet

Child poverty rates have grown massively under Conservatives……but since kids don’t vote they DGAF

Conservatives have kept triple lock and winter fuel allowance….because pensioners are Tory voters.

 

[Notch7]

Award for the most pointless observation this year goes to Denso13.

Not pointless at all

Throwing money away to rich people is a waste of tax revenue

Denso makes an astute point, I’m sorry it’s too complex for you

 

[denso13]

Award for the most pointless observation this year goes to Denso13.

It's an analogy which I didn't think needed explaining. Millionaires and billionaires get the payment which is ridiculous.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

It's likely to be £4 per week.

Think again - The high heating bills, just appear in the 3 or 4 months of the depth of winter, and it was intended to help remove the worry of those exceptionally high bills of winter. Which means that you can safely multiply the £4 per week, by 3 or 4 - £12 to £16 per week, taken away, when it is most needed.

Also consider, that many pensioners do suffer much more in the cold, and have limited ability to move about to keep warm, indeed some are confined to a chair, or a bed.

 

[denso13]

Which is why up to 800,000, who need it won't get it

Where did that come from? Some are now ineligible, if they don't make a phone call to apply for pension credit. It doesn't mean they "need it".

 

[Trazor]

Not pointless at all

Throwing money away to rich people is a waste of tax revenue

Denso makes an astute point, I’m sorry it’s too complex for you

It's boring, repetitive, and adds nothing to the discussion.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

It's an analogy which I didn't think needed explaining. Millionaires and billionaires get the payment which is ridiculous.

Not really, given by one hand taken away (and much more) by the other. £300 given them as pensioners, but they pay millions in taxes, works just fine for me..

 

[Trazor]

Where did that come from? Some are now ineligible, if they don't make a phone call to apply for pension credit. It doesn't mean they "need it".

It's well known, that that number of pensioners will miss out, for various reasons, this happens under Tories and Labour with many benefits.

 

[Trazor]

But don't worry, all pay rises have been given to there Crony union friends.

 

[Notch7]

Think again - The high heating bills, just appear in the 3 or 4 months of the depth of winter, and it was intended to help remove the worry of those exceptionally high bills of winter. Which means that you can safely multiply the £4 per week, by 3 or 4 - £12 to £16 per week, taken away, when it is most needed.

Also consider, that many pensioners do suffer much more in the cold, and have limited ability to move about to keep warm, indeed some are confined to a chair, or a bed.

I would think most people have their monthly direct debit evenly spread.

I pay the same winter or summer.

My concern is that many pensioners on a tight budget worry about money and some may turn heating down / off

I know my wife and I during winter 22/23 when prices more than doubled severely restricted our heating….more out being bl@@dy minded than not being able to afford it, and we had some days when our lounge was 13deg…..fine for me apart from my ears burning from the missus, but not fine for pensioners, not fine at all.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Where did that come from? Some are now ineligible, if they don't make a phone call to apply for pension credit. It doesn't mean they "need it".

It's not that simple. Below the income figure, you get the WFP, plus a whole raft of other financial benefits. A pound over the limit, which applies to many of the 800,000 will not get any of those benefits, nor the WFP. They will be much worse off, simply by having £1 per week, of extra income, a cliff edge, leaving them to freeze in the cold weather..

 

[denso13]

£300 given them as pensioners, but they pay millions in taxes, works just fine for me..

So why not give them all of the pensioner benefits if they pay more back (I'm not sure how that works). Why stop at WFA.

Mick and Elton getting a £200-£300 one off taxpayer handout to help with heating bills is indefensible.

 

[Notch7]

But don't worry, all pay rises have been given to their Crony union friends.

That’s a false conflation

Train drivers aren’t paid by the govt

And junior Drs absolutely needed a decent pay rise….yeah those Drs that are needed to help pensioners.

Oh and Conservatives were going to give very similar deals anyway

But nice try on the false argument

 

[denso13]

A pound over the limit, which applies to many of the 800,000 will not get any of those benefits, nor the WFP. They will be much worse off, simply by having £1 per week, of extra income, a cliff edge, leaving them to freeze in the cold weather..

Yes, there should be a way of tapering the benefit better but that is the same as most means tested ones.