Winter fuel payments

I only get state pension and I get just over £14,000 so you are wrong.

Pensioners on just the state pension don’t pay tax. The highest state pension is £11,973 a year, the threshold for tax is £12,570.

It’s not rubbish, I speak to pension age people all the time about it. My in laws for example, didn’t need a deposit. It was standard to have 100% mortgages all those years ago. Only one of them worked while she brought up children in the early years, extremely average jobs. Had a 4/5 bed house in the South East. That just wouldn’t be possible now

There’s always exceptions to rules and extenuating circumstances but it’s really bloody annoying when you can’t just admit you had it easier. Way easier. Doesn’t mean you didn’t work hard still. There’d be a lot less resentment between the generations if you just conceded a bit.

They were mentioning ways they could do it on BBC and council tax bands were mentioned, I guess that would exclude all the wealthy MILs on here

I’m a pensioner and agree it should be means tested. Also the bus passes and free prescriptions should be means tested in my opinion.
However the assumptions you are making are ridiculous, we are not all paying big vet bills, driving huge cars, spending it on holidays, adding it to our investments etc as has been mentioned on this thread. We are “ ordinary” people with a state pension, maybe a small workplace pension ( although not always as women didn’t all work outside of the home in the 70’s 80’s) So an income of about £16000 a year.
Im fortunate to have finished paying off my mortgage just before I retired so not having to find a big chunk for housing costs.
We gave ours to our local children as did many of my pensioner friends who didn’t need to use it for their fuel bills. I’ve since found out you could actually have declined it.
The pensioners who will suffer if it’s means tested are those just above the cut off point - whatever that will be decided at- just like families just above the cut off point for additional benefits.

Agree with this. There are some real anomalies where someone on Pension Credit could now be better off than someone who (just) doesn’t qualify - that doesn’t seem fair.

Great, replace one flawed criteria with another flawed criteria. Council tax bandings bear no relation to the income nor living costs of the occupants. Lots of poor old people rattling around in larger houses they can’t afford. Or do they mean that those in larger homes will get wfa because their heating costs will be higher?

Great, replace one flawed criteria with another flawed criteria. Council tax bandings bear no relation to the income nor living costs of the occupants. Lots of poor old people rattling around in larger houses they can’t afford. Or do they mean that those in larger homes will get wfa because their heating costs will be higher?

They were mentioning ways they could do it on BBC and council tax bands were mentioned, I guess that would exclude all the wealthy MILs on here

AA doesn’t have to stop if you’re in a care home and self funding. That’ll doubtless blow some minds!

The bus pass is genuinely useful. We need to encourage the elderly to give up driving before they do something unsafe.

AA isn't about buying in care or carers. My mother was blind and my father looked after her. She qualified for AA and he was her carer until she needed to go into nursing care and then the AA was stopped.

My father lived to such a great age that one of his pension pots was nearly empty. But not because he hadn't managed his money well and he had savings for the care my mother received.

They need to look at AA next. Over £400 a month my MIL takes of this non means tested benefit, buys in no care and puts in the bank, yet her and FIL have over £1m worth of assets.

In our case getting rid of the winter fuel allowance was a fair cop! We did not need it. Yes I think it should be means tested but means testing is very expensive. There will always be mistakes and people lie.
I also think it is time to get rid of the triple lock. Pensions have gone up a lot in recent years and a single lock of keeping pace with inflation would be sufficient. However this is not a vote winner.
I do disagree with getting rid of the bus pass though. It takes a lot of pensioners off the roads. Older people would be less inclined to give up their cars when their driving ability deteriorates. The money bus companies get back from the council for people using bus passes keeps a lot of buses still running.

No one was up in arms when child benefit was (incorrectly) means tested. No one cares when predominantly women and children who suffer.

Re: "encouraging pensioners out of their cars". I am a widow, living with Myalgic Encephalitus, Type 2 diabetes and living on my little historic barge on a fast flowing tidal river. My neighbours have their own lives and families and, although we chat in passing, I am not particularly close with any of them. My son lives 450 miles away, is married with three teenage children, a rather demanding wife and a full-time job. We keep in touch by messaging each other. I have no intention of going ashore and if I had to give up my 21 Yr old Fiat Panda 1.2cc I would not be able to go shopping, see my old retired horse, get my cat's special food or go to the village library. These are the things that keep me from just giving up and starving myself to death. The bus stop is a mile away. I couldn't walk that far. The bus goes to the nearest town once every hour. There isn't a bus shelter or any seats to sit on whilst waiting.

People on PC didn't work enough to pay NI and get NI stamps. People who worked all their lives often for 40 years, and get a miniscule work pensions so maybe got £12k pa at time WFA was introduced when state pension was £11,013 get nothing but people like your Mum who never worked enough to pay NI get free money handed to them on a plate, for nothing along with WFA, free council tax, and free dentistry too. People like your Mum on PC often end up better off because of these benefits than people who worked all their lives. It's wrong in my opinion.