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?

@WhatShallIdo11 “Interest rates were around 15% in those days.”

Ah, that old chestnut. How long were you paying 15% for?
I’m an oldie, I remember them hitting 15% but I don’t talk about it like it was duration of my mortgage!

And, you know - there’s plenty of calculations online that 15% interest your salary to borrowing ratio was easier to cover than the youngsters face now.

What assets, how do you know they have assets?

It is not a FACT. You cannot possibly know this. Quit the histrionics.

How do they use their assets?
Who’s going to give them a loan against their home at their age?
Can you hear yourself?

Not every where they are not. I personally know of people who won’t work as then get the equivalent/more on benefits. It does happen. Those who claim UC to top up their low income at least are working to provide for their family. Not everyone does and I’m sorry it’s not right. It’s not their fault tbf when the government makes it like that. But It genuinly is not fair. My parents worked all their life as have I and my child. I had one child as we couldn’t afford to give up work/pay childcare fees for more. The system isn’t fair for working class people or the elderly that worked all their life and paid their taxes.

I'm a bit surprised at this from Labour. Going after pensioners smacks of Tory tactics - hammering the demographic that don't vote for you. It would have been more palatable if they'd announced they'd found a way to reduce any household bills first.

It is the case that some pensioners don't need it, but I think the parameters might be a bit severe. This might be a good time for charities for the elderly to raise awareness of the benefits available to pensioners because I read that a lot of people don't claim even though they qualify, and it's that demographic that could end up in trouble.

Why do I get the feeling that the extreme wealth tax will never materialize? It's incredibly depressing that politicians of any stripe always seem to prefer to pick on the vulnerable. Meanwhile new billionaires pop up every year.

Yep, taking from the pensioners to fund the obscene 20% pay rise paid to the doctors. And the flood gates are now going to open from other public sector employees - of course they will want what others are being promised. The country will be bankrupt within a couple of years. Welcome to Labour.

But didn't they get cost of living awards throughout the year - to help with fuel?

We've always been net contributors, never minded paying tax and voted for higher taxes. But I'm heartily sick of the idea that we had everything. Yes I wore a liberty bodice as a kid because our house was cold. The roof leaked, we had an outdoor toilet with spiders in it. No foreign holidays, just a day trip to the seaside if you were lucky or a week in a caravan if you were really lucky. No entertainment except a radio unless you made your own, maybe bingo for your parents. Couldnt afford tvs when they started to be available, eventually got one that only got BBC, in black and white.

Didnt whine about it, didnt expect - or get - handouts from anyone else. Fed up of entitled spolit children who dont know how lucky they are.

Why are people saying it's fair based on their flipping relatives. Don't understand this at all.

I am so sorry to read about your difficulties and struggles, my heart goes out to you. I am just a stranger on the internet but I really empathise with you.

I definitely support this, it's a regressive benefit in that it gives money to loads of people who don't need it. My parents certainly don't, and yes they do gives loads to charity etc., but not everyone tries to redistribute the dividend.
I hope the government continue in this vain (i.e. seeking savings where it might not be popular by some affected, but is fair overall).

Pull up their skirting boards and put them in a log burner?

Age UK says winter fuel payments prevent 12000 deaths a year.
A dedicated payment prompts people to use it for extra heating.
In 2023 a fuel poverty charity said 45 people a day die from cold homes.

My mum didn't have any funds, savings my dad's business went bankrupt, the flat had to go and she went into housing assn flat.

I'm glad you are able to help your children. Sometimes it's the other way round

I’m a pensioner, I have no assets, just have state pension and 1 small work pension and the above says I don’t need this extra money. I have no property to leave anyone and I’ve worked until retirement age, just managing to pay food bills, bed remarks from the above

Work pensions weren’t a thing they are a recent addition.
lots of elderly only have a state pension. These are ones who will suffer!
Please look at the system that was in place prior to work pensions becoming mandatory

No idea - can’t remember how long for or what out household income was but it was a major consideration as to whether we should stretch ourselves to stay where we grew up it or move 30 miles up the M1 for cheaper housing

And I never said it was for the duration of my mortgage - just the rate when I took out my first one

Did I miss the bit where they’ve stopped the subsidised restaurant and bar for MPs in the House of Commons? And I expect they cut the huge amounts they can claim for expenses, didn’t they?

Please go and look at what people actually get for not working on UC, and say that it is somehow more than what people get if they were working.
The people getting lots in UC are in high rent areas, or are unable to work.. and even if you are unable to work (now and in the future), you receive the equivalent of about £5.40 an hour.
People getting more money again are on PIP, so therefore disabled. Getting bitter about that is pretty shite tbh..

Maybe if companies paid their workers better there wouldn't be a need for working people to have these in work ' top ups' , but that would mean retail workers / carers and so on earning 20 pounds an hour and this would be unsubstantiated ( so they would say)
Lots who are entitled to benefits do work.
This is sometimes forgotten when people go on about 'benefit scroungers 'although I appreciate that there will always be those who exploit the system and I've known a few myself :( It's a tough one and always winners and losers.

People died before, didn’t a minister tell them to wear hats and coats indoors.
They are bringing in free breakfast clubs which I agree with. When my children were small I knew nobody who couldn’t pay for breakfast. And still don’t and don’t know anyone who uses a food bank.
But I know people must, just like there are rich pensioners and poor pensioners and a squeezed middle.
My home is still only worth 3 times my salary ( so haven’t done well)

Have you read the thread above yours from @Flowers4me How can you support people who are struggling having even more taken away.

No one is disagreeing that it shouldn’t be removed from wealthy pensioners who don’t need it. But they are also taking it from pensioners who literally have only £218.15 per week to live on, barely enough to survive and they are taking the £200 from them. I thought labour were supposed to be about taking from those with the broadest shoulders, not the poorest most vulnerable in society. All the people saying it is fair to scrap it, please explain what is fair about taking £200 from a single pensioner who only earns £218.15 per week and is already on the breadline.