Nick Robinson on the Today programme said that people affected by withdrawing the Winter Fuel Allowance were "the wartime generation". AIBU to think he's wrong?

The flapping over this issue is getting quite ridiculous. It's really very little anyway and many of those who receive it currently don't need it. Maybe the cut off is a little low, but it is £2-300 for a whole year. The Tories have left us in a position where choices like this become necessary. Yes I'd like to see expenses reform for MPs too, but that is a different issue.

There are 3 million millionaire pensioners in this country.

Technically, if DH retired next week, he would be a millionaire pensioner (combining the house and his pension pot) -- for a while. It's just that the pension would then have to last the length of a retirement, and it's kind of useful to have somewhere to live.

There will be people just above the (very low) cut off point who need it but don’t get it.

Someone on £218 a week will get it. Someone on £222 a week may not

They won't freeze, if they need the WFA they will still get it.

This 'awful government ' is just trying to sort out the mess the last 14 years of corruption and greed has caused.

Secondly, lots of elderly people have health and or mobility issues & do not move around very much. Therefore they feel the cold more than people who are more mobile.

DM was born during an air raid and is still alive and well.

I think what a lot of people don't realise is how cold some older people get. I was out walking DM's dog with her recently in the sunshine. I was wearing a tee shirt. DM was wearing a lambswool jumper and a fleece gilet. She puts her heating on sooner in the year, and longer during the day, than I would, despite wearing several warm layers with a hot water bottle down her front,

I think the Tory bots and bitter right wingers on this site are deliberately misunderstanding 'means testing ' for WFA.

The notion of freezing pensioners is absolute nonsense, if an old person needs the allowance they will get it. No question.

There are 3 million millionaire pensioners in this country. They are the ones that don't need it and won't miss it, unless they are incredibly greedy and selfish.

The same people who are faux outraged about this change also seem to be the same ones that were happy for the sick and disabled to be means tested. Strange that.

Food & other rationing continued until the mid 1950s in the UK
So this occurred for people who are 70 +

They lived through hardship & the end of WW11

My problem with the WFA is that it is a really inefficient way to address fuel poverty amongst pensioners.

Some pensioners seem to use energy really inefficiently - like the poster upthread describing her dad using electric blankets and heaters rather than the GCH - that is likely to be more expensive.

Some who have never switched may save £300 a year just by moving to a new tariff.

It needs to be targeted at actual measures to help reduce energy bills for the poorest, not flung at every person over 65 in the hope some people will use it to pay energy bills.

TL:DR it's a shit policy and should be replaced completely with better targeted help for those that really need it.

@YogaForDummies my DM wasn’t in nappies during the war. Yes she was a child so wasn’t fighting but still had memories of air raids and bomb sites

My mum is 82, born in 1942. She doesn't remember the war but does remember rationing. She also remembers being able to see an. NHS dentist for free twice a year, buying their first house for three times my dad's very average salary (she worked FT but her wage wasn't taken into account for the mortgage), retired at 60 with a final salary pension. She's currently on holiday in Australia.

She wouldn't consider herself to be the "wartime generation" as she has no memory of the war. My MIL is 10 years older, born in 1932, and does remember the war. I'd consider her to be part of the wartime generation.

You sound lovely.

yes it’s parents like my own that will be affected. They are the war time generation that were kids at the time and in my families case, were evacuated out of London while the bombs fell.

You are sick of them you say? Well don’t worry. They’ll be dead soon enough 👌

I must admit @HauntedBungalow, having read more of your subsequent posts, you are making yourself look a little ignorant . Probably best if you don't add any more.

no you dont but that would be a good idea @BananaFrogDooby

I thought you had to be over 75 to get winter fuel payment, ie born in 1949 or before?

Some people alive during the war are still alive now but at the time of the war they'd have all still been in nappies and would very much have been a hindrance to the war effort rather than a help!

so many horrible ignorant posters
so your relative is well off and likes elvis presley
doesnt mean that all pensioners are well off
there are a huge amount of pensioners and many unclaimed pensions as well!
it is a huge age group

They've just bought a £60k car and they're angry about the fuel allowance?

Just wow.

They honestly expect young people starting out their lives paying big mortgages and hugely expensive childcare to pay more tax to fund the fuel allowance they don't need. It's absolutely ridiculous and so entitled.

My parents were massive Tory voters but somehow had the cognitive dissonance to want to claim every benefit going despite having passive income and generous pensions. They left millions and would also probably complain about the fuel allowance.

Benefits should be for those people in need.

Though I can see the argument for giving the WFA to pensioners who get Attendance Allowance or other disability benefits, as they're more likely to be immobile and suffer from the cold. Someone should suggest this if they haven't already.

That makes sense .

I think we all know older people who do not need the additional fuel allowance , but likewise the cut off point is a very blunt tool and there will be people who will suffer .

What annoys me is this belief that state retirement benefits should be a ‘reward’ rather than a means to prevent destitution. This belief is so strong it is baked into our system.

If Nick hadn’t used the ‘wartime generation’ narrative (the assumption that past hardship means a reward is deserved now), there would be countless other similar narratives to deploy. Take your pick and simply add the phrase ‘therefore they deserve even more taxpayer money’

’They’ve paid taxes all their lives’

’They’ve suffered through COVID’

’They’ve lived through rationing’

Feel free to add more.

YANBU. My oldest living relative was born in 1942, definitely doesn't remember the war, and she is 82 now.

A 95 year old would have been 16 when the war ended. Are they the wartime generation? And how many of them are still alive, living independently and paying their own bills?

Yanbu. The youngest pensioners now are from the Punk generation.

Why is there not more being done to get energy companies to offer loans/grants to pensioners who are just above the pension credit limit? They have hardship funds already and in April pensioners will be getting 3x the wfa because of the triple lock that will be baked in.
My MIL is also the 'wartime generation' as she was born in 1942 but she definitely doesn't need the wfa.

My DF was in conflict in Ireland (with the British army) but apparently we aren't supposed to talk about "the troubles" because all is forgiven and our armed forces also behaved appallingly (which many did). Doesn't take away from the fact during his time serving he was shot at, petrol bombed and had bricks thrown at his head daily though...

But apparently those service personnel weren't serving during times of conflict. 🙄

I heard Gemma Collins do a segment on WFA and use similar emotive war generation language.

Will we be using Covid generation in X years time? I suppose we would, if relevant about language development or education. Interesting thread.