Winter fuel payments for pensioners scrapped

[MidnightPatrol]

Unless they are in receipt of pension credit or other benefits.

I suspect this will be the first of many benefits which will be restricted as part of cost-cutting measures.

What else might we see / should we see?

I don't know my parents can probably do without it but my in laws needed that money and won't get it mostly because my mil never claimed carers allowance during the time she nursed her sick and dying mother, father and sister.

We had their case assessed by citizens advice a few years ago and this is what they told us she doesn't have enough stamps to be eligible for pension credit because of the unpaid care.

I definitely feel cheated. It will push us off the edge where we can't afford heating.

How is someone on 220 quid a week expeczted to pay 1500 a year council tax and 1200 a year gas/elec and 600 a year water!!!!! Pay for house repairs etc.

Oh and eat. You cant run a car on that. a pensioner on just a bit above the threshhold is not by any means the millionaire that some mumsnetters think they are.

I'm glad someone had clocked that.

They've removed pension credit savings credit. So a single person with a full pension entitlement will not be eligible for pension credit. It's a smoke and mirrors benefit now.

The 2 other means tested benefits for pensioners are housing benefit and council tax support. Hopefully there will be some fund set up for those that will suffer. There's also the warm home discount for low income families maybe that will be expanded to fill a hole.

I've got a relative kicking off about this decision, another one who's happy as they don't need it and my 80 year old mother who isn't sure how it will affect her yet.

It also conveniently ignores inflation / growth…

What a load of sanctimonious bollocks.

Do you not think that everything is proportionate ? Earnings in the 80s and 90s were nowhere near the level they are now either. We bought our first house in 1980 and it cost £15,000. I think our combined incomes at the time were in the region of £350 a month and the mortgage payment ballooned to swallow up all of my individual wage of £150 a month when the interest rates soared from 10% to over 15% when the Thatcher government came to power. Yes, the house was worth a lot more when we sold over twenty years later, but there was no monetary benefit because all house prices had soared, so we paid a similar price when we moved. And the easier availability of social housing at that time is a myth because Thatcher ensured a large proportion was sold off when her government introduced the right to buy scheme.

Housing Benefit is means tested.

As w.e see from this thread nobody thinks they should be the ones who have to pay more in tax

There's always a reason why it should be someone else.

It is ridiculous to expect them to pay again to subsidise younger generations when their pensions are below the NMW x 40 hours.

They aren’t subsiding the younger generations 🤦‍♀️

in the 60s there was 5 workers to 1 pensioner, now it’s 3:1 and 2:1 isn’t far off. There are already more over 65 yr olds than under 15 yrs olds, one reason the Tories were never serious about stopping immigration. It isn’t sustainable.

So inflation is beneficial @Rosscameasdoody ? I think that is specious. In retrospect it looks okay, but it was brutal to deal with at the time.

I think it’s disgusting. Shameless.

It’s appalling and worse is to come. I see she’s caved in to the unions as well.

I will get my hard hat. I will need it …

The fuck I voted out of the EU.

All those people saying 'fair enough, my mum/dad don't need it' etc...they've scrapped it for EVERYONE except the very poorest. So people who are just about making ends meet, are by no means well off, will be affected. This is completely unacceptable.

I would happily pay more IF I could afford it. How are we expected to pay £250 per month council tax, gas / elec / water / insurance / food / repairs on £930 per month. Don't you understand? This pushes people over the edge.

Not sure which of my posts you’re referring to.

This exactly, how are pensioners on just above the threshold supposed to live, I’m so disgusted at Labour attacking the most vulnerable. Yes it does need to be removed from the rich who don’t need it, but with proper means testing so poor pensioners aren’t plunged further into poverty

Like many of the people who dont need we've donated it to food banks in the past. We wont be doing that in future.

Yes plenty of pensioners dont need it but there are many who have tiny work pensions that take them just above the pension credit levels and will get no help. That includes my older brother who is proud that despite having poor health he worked all his life. He needs a warm home for health reasons but is too proud to admit how much he can no longer do so gets no disabilty benefits. He does get the princely sum of 25p a week because he is over 80. His wife died so single pension to live on. He should move into supported housing but that would mean leaving his memories.

Those who have spent any penny they had or never worked will still get help.

What shall I give up then? The swimming, the gym, the cycling? Watchimng my local football team, Chrissy pressies for the niblets?

It’s not selfish to allocate money where it’s needed rather than bunging it to very comfortably-off pensioners who don’t need it. I’ve always thought it was madness not to means-test it like pretty much every other benefit but then every government in recent memory has seemed hell bent on placating pensioners at the expense of pretty much everyone else. And I say that as someone fast approaching retirement age.

Do you not think that everything is proportionate ? Earnings in the 80s and 90s were nowhere near the level they are now either. We bought our first house in 1980 and it cost £15,000. I think our combined incomes at the time were in the region of £350 a month and the mortgage payment ballooned to swallow up all of my individual wage of £150 a month when the interest rates soared from 10% to over 15% when the Thatcher government came to power.

Younger generations use more of their income on housing costs than older generations did at the same age. It wasn’t easy back then but it’s harder now. The end.

The state pension is only “low” because we pay so little in for it.
To get a bigger pension, you would need to pay more tax & NI.

Better off just scrapping it and increasing the threshold for Pension Credit so a few more people can claim it.

There's the warm home discount too. Plenty of families with children are just about making ends meet too and families with children under five need to keep their homes warm.

Pensioners with a small additional pension arent "comfortably off". This is the group that will be hurt by this.