Some families to get a total of £1,200 cash, to support with cost of living crisis.

[flashbac]

Highlights:
All families can now keep the 200 quid energy payment, no longer repayment based. This will be topped up to £400.
Low income families to get £650 straight into bank account.
(Non means tested) disabled benefit recipients to get £150.
All in all some will receive total of £1,200.
Funded by windfall tax.

ESA is about £74 a week if not in the support group, and housing benefit rarely covers rent if renting privately.

It is entirely plausible to be paying £20 per week towards rent from ESA towards rent leaving £55 for all other bills, food etc.

PIP is very difficult to get, many people with genuine disabilities are denied it.

Wouldn’t it be better for companies to lower prices?

Not in my family they don't. My husband is past state retirement age and still having to work. He's one of the many who was ripped off by his company pension scheme that he'd paid into for 30 years.
There may be a lot of rich pensioners down south, but there certainly aren't up north in the old mining and textile towns

the average 65 year old has 9 times more wealth than the average 30-34 year old.

If that's the case, their wealth will include the value of their property, which is probably fully paid for by that age. But of course that isn't fluid funds, so in no way helpful when it comes to paying their fuel bill.

oh dear. That’s okay. Thanks for the correct update @SpittinKitten That is the outcome I was expecting anyways.

I can’t drink Champagne either anyways lol, but I may buy myself a commiserating bar of Chocolate instead. 😋

Many of them still have lots more disposable income than younger people. My parents (divorced) are ‘boomers’ and both of them are infinitely better off than me. Yet they’ll both get this money.

But I bet they weren't when they were your age.

What is it about Mumsnet where so many posters seem to hate the elderly who've worked and paid taxes for 45/50 years?

Read the thread. I know rent is often more than the housing element and I know PIP is difficult to get. I did not post otherwise. I prefaced the post with “Unless your rent is very expensive…” and the assumption about PIP was because the pp mentioned DF claiming CA in the same paragraph as her saying she’s disabled - the pp has since clarified but it was a reasonable assumption based on the original post.

Just like another poster posted about the same thing, my post was an attempt to help the pp, clearly unappreciated by the pp, because regardless of what some on this thread think it is important you check your claim because it is not rare for people’s awards to be incorrect. Without high rent and without repaying debt £55 is not correct, hence my post, and if it is DHP can be looked at.

ESA is £77pw.

Wouldn’t it be better for companies to lower prices?

@oatmilk4breakfast If they can afford to pay a portion of every households bills, you would think it would be easier for everyone to just not put up the prices by quite so much, and especially not so quickly, but I suppose paying towards a couple of months bills is better economically for energy suppliers, when they can then go on to charge a lot more for the other ten ?
Has there been any mention of help for businesses effected by the rising energy costs ? because we will all pay towards those with an increase in prices or people will pay by losing their jobs if businesses go bust.

If your parents are among the fortunate, then have a conversation with them about donating their winter fuel allowance. Maybe share the link I posted further up, to the fuelbank organisation.

Yes, a proportion of pensioners don't need this allowance. However many, many do. The alternative simply isn't feasible. There isn't the manpower to put into assessing every pensioner. Look at the chaos in the passport offices and the DVLA etc. There simply aren't the govt employees available to do this, and if there were, the cost would simply not be worthwhile and the time it took would mean those who need it wouldn't get it in time.

You're pissed off because your parents get it and you don't. That's your problem with them, not the government's.

Single parent working full-time in band e house gets £400 relatives over 65 retired on great pensions with two houses and multimillionaires get £800

Some people on this thread could really do with understanding that means testing does not usually result in the most needy getting help.

So whilst it makes you feel better to bash a few wealthy pensioners as if they caused all this, your anger is woefully misplaced.

amp.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2013/jan/14/means-testing-benefits-not-efficient-fair

@Rosscameasdoody

I know, Right?! You are spot on.
I have heard so many similar things said to me about these severe Disabilities and benefits too. It’s beyond ridiculous. They will never grasp it.

Those of us who pay far more in taxes don't need the help. Hence posters talking about donating the £400.

Actually they would have got £150 and the extra that pensioners are getting too 😳

I'm not bashing the rich older people. Good for them I hope they enjoy it.

But I don't think it's right that they get £700 extra from the state.

The culture wars have been given a real boost by this. Ageism is going to be on the rise, and a proportion of the middle classes will further resent those on benefits.

Not everyone got the £150 -we didnt.
It is based on the council tax band of the house.

They will do because I think the property that they are currently in is a band C

Btw I'm not bashing them, they are lovely and they don't think it's right either

They are getting £300 more than multi millionaires.

Yet many seem fixated on pensioners.

Ageism is live and well.

I'm not rich, but I have an occupational pension and I own my house. I'm widowed and living alone and I'll get £300. I didn't get the council tax rebate, and it's unlikely that any of the rich would have done either.

I don't know what people want from me. Am I supposed to grovel and apologise? Even mentioning that I planned to donate it, ended with someone ranting at me and claiming I was virtue signaling and wouldn't actually do it.

No they don't get £800.

If you are going to have a pop at least get the figures right.

So how much do you want to spend on IT systems, people etc. to distribute ‘fairly’, knowing that every time there is a threshold set someone just over the line who is needy doesn’t get it? Probably cost a few billion to administer which is probably net equal to what’s being given out. Delays it for everyone. Some of those people will give it to charity and yes some people will get pissed on champagne.

Philosophically of course wealthy people shouldn’t get unnecessary handouts. We don’t live in a black and white world. My next door neighbour is 94 and lives in a council tax band F house. It’s mortgaged to the hilt as she’s been paying private social care for YEARS. How does an algorithm pick up all the nuance of her situation. Administering any system is massively complex.

Sounds like they know they’ve fucked up and are now handing out their begging bowl of money to get the voters back… or maybe I’m just cynical