Genuine question re pensioner fuel payment cut

VilanelleTutu · Today 12:57
I’m hoping that we’ll see downsizing from family sized homes and using the equity to pay for their retirement costs instead of sitting on property wealth and requiring state top ups due to low income”

We’re doing exactly this. Not yet pensioners, 65 and 60. Took us a hell of a time to find an appropriate apartment, though. We’re downsizing and releasing funds for our adult kids and our future care costs yes, but we didn’t want to live in a rabbit hutch!
Lack of suitable properties to downsize into is a big problem.

For those of you unaware of Starmer's huge pension, he even had a law passed mentioning him by name.

The Pensions Increase (Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC) Regulations 2013

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65037136

From the article:
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of hypocrisy by Conservatives over a tax exempt pension deal he has from a previous job.
Sir Keir criticised measures in the Budget which scrapped the £1m cap on lifetime pensions savings.
The Telegraph reported, external Sir Keir got a special "tax unregistered" pension scheme when he stood down as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in 2013.
Labour says it was standard practice for retiring DPPs to get such a deal.
But senior Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith told The Telegraph it made a "mockery" of Labour's position on the lifetime pension allowance, and was as "close to hypocrisy as it is possible to get".
Tory MP Andrea Leadsom told the BBC's Politics Live it was an example of "extraordinary hypocrisy".

So they are not just on 11k then.

If you hadn't noticed there are plenty of vociferous individuals on the Labour side. With regards to Yvette Cooper et al, they've probably been told to button it and toe the party line.

Apart from that just watch, everything that's not nailed down is going to be means tested to pay for the Tory profligacy (and the bloody war in Ukraine). I reckon this is only the start.

Typically voters act selfishly and don't care if services or benefits are cut so long as it doesn't impact them. Equally voters are supportive of tax increases so long as it doesn't impact them.

You see it all the time on MN "they should tax the rich more " with rich being defined as anyone on 50% more than the poster.

Full details on previous link

If someone just has state pension, they would get most of their rent paid by housing benefit. There is plenty of help. Get even £1 of pension credit and you get all your rent and council tax paid for you but if are a few pounds above the pension credit threshold you'd still get a fair bit of your rent paid.

I’m hoping that we’ll see downsizing from family sized homes and using the equity to pay for their retirement costs instead of sitting on property wealth and requiring state top ups due to low income.

www.theipsa.org.uk/mp-staffing-business-costs/your-mp/rachel-reeves/4031

Is 11k per year minimum wage? Or living wage? A cut off of 11k per year seems very low. The cut off should be at least min/living wage.

I don't agree with taking from pensioners first though, unless its based on a means test. There are other areas where spending should be cut first imo.

And the fuel cap should be brought back in. At a reasonable rate.

I'm not Labour btw.

We already have the lowest pension in Europe ( EU countries) . Not everyone has a private and go those that do they aren't always that big.

The triple lock is what is supposed to keep pensions in line with the cost of living.

I've not heard of any talk of reducing UC, they've ramped it up a lot in recent years.

That is your experience - but can you not get your brain round the fact that not all pensioners are that wealthy and surely they are worth a measly £4 per week per household to keep themselves warm over the winter months.
Frankly I don't care how much your parents have - they are disgraceful for accepting the £200 per year instead of donating it.

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Can you not envisage that millions of pensioners who worked hard all ttheir lives are not on such riches and NEED this extra help.

It would be impossible to pay private rent out of that.

Crazy too that every 60 year old gets free prescriptions when most are working. My dh earning 40k a year and now getting free prescriptions. he is on a lot of medications but only pays £10 a month with pre paid certificate.

I'm interested to know when Labour will take away the fuel allowance that MPs have .

It's rampant hypocrisy. The other way round Labour front bench would be screaming evil tory cuts.

Get used to this as more is to come.

We wouldn't need so much charity if taxpayers money went to those in need. More pets are given up in a CoL crisis.

https://www.almondfinancial.co.uk/pension-breakeven-index-how-does-the-uk-state-pension-compare-to-the-rest-of-europe/

2024 Pension breakeven index: How does the UK state pension compare to the rest of Europe?

"The UK moved up one place from last year’s report in the top 30, now coming in at number 15..."

“Closer to home, the UK has a system that is just above the breakeven point which means at present, there isn’t much room to manoeuvre for those battling the cost of living crisis. And while it is positive that the UK finds itself among the top half of countries, for how much longer is the question.

“Although the increase in the state pension was well intended, it works out at just £33 more per month compared to last year’s pension. It’s clear that those over 66 need to look at other options rather than just relying on the state pension."

The cut off point for pension credit should be a levelling off . Those who claim full state pension or may have a small private pension alongside, yet little savings should be able to apply. £1 over the state pension and they get no help. This is wrong and needs to be looked at . I think a rising scale should be applied . The government need to look at this . How worrying for those with full state pension and little money behind them

I agree with this.

Are they paying rent out of 11k or would those renting get housing benefit on top?

My ‘pensioner’ parent is fit, healthy, has assets in excess of 7 figures and has quite happily accepted their winter fuel and free bus pass for years. I have a number of other wealthy pensioner relatives who use their maximum 2 year old cars to drive to the outskirts of town, park up for free and then use their bus passes into town to avoid parking fees.

It’s been a mockery of a system for years and I’m delighted that this generation of wealth is no longer being pandered to.