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 know, between this and the VAT on independent schools, they are having a good week

I don't think they'll go for the bus pass. Public transport is something they should be encouraging

Lots of people seems to be very gleeful about wealthy relatives no longer getting this, which I do understand. But there are lots of pensioners literally on the breadline, like my dad who is pounds away from getting pension credit. He worked a hard manual job all his life, he would have been much better off never paying into a private pension, it’s hardly worth anything and means he’s just over the threshold for all the additional help people on pension credit get. Im so worried about what this will mean for him this winter, along with many other pensioners in the same situation.

Arguably they should. If they are going to take money away from pensioners they don't think need it then the same argument should apply to people receiving those benefits who are wealthy and don't need them. I don't agree with it though.

A bit of lazy analysis here

There used to be a number of 'advantages' for the 60+ age group. One was a free travel pass. It is now linked to State Pension age. I'm not criticising that- just saying because some posters are really ill-informed about what older people do get. Someone commented that State Pension rates start at £1600 a month- they start at just less than £680 a month. Someone else commented that tv licences are free at 75 - they are not and have not been for a number of years.

If you paid into a work pension, you are probably reasonably off . If not you are probably finding things tough.

If they're desperate for extra cash they can rent out a spare room. Most houses are at least 2bed. I know they won't want to. That's their choice then to remain poor.

My parents were not entitled to pension credit but only just and relied on this payment. But they died not long ago, so are not personally affected.

But there are lots of pensioners who don’t have big private pensions. Some
have no private pension at all, particularly women because until relatively recently if you worked part time there was no requirement for you to receive a pension even where your full time colleagues did get one. It shouldn’t be taken off all pensioners because some
are wealthy. The pension credit amount is too low as far as means testing goes.

I find it funny how last week all the threads about how cruel it is to have a limit of 2 children for child benefit, for those people who choose to have more children. Which is leading to more children living in poverty. Which would cost over £800 per child each year.

And yet god forbid that a pensioner get £200 per year to help heat their house in winter.

I agree with this one being means tested. My ILs get it but go on multiple holiday per year (particularly in the winter) and definitely don’t need it.

Not only that, but lots of very old people can't drive any more for health reasons, so that's another reason to keep that. It is currently extremely generous, though, and I would totally understand if the age at which you can claim it went up a bit.

What????

Are you Marie Antoinette reincarnated? Your sympathy just oozes out of that post.

Londoners and people in Scotland and Wales get free buses from 60. The rest of us don't though. I am early sixties and don't get anything.

Minimum wage for 40 hours a week is a take home pay, after tax, of £1,378 per month. The living wage, obviously a bit more. The average wage...well you get my drift. A coupleb on MW would therefore bring home about £2,750. So considerably more than the poster who said that she and her DH live on £1,600.

The minimum wage couple would probably also qualify for some benefits if on minimum wage so hopefully, rent would be manageable in most of the country.

Of course the average wage would be a fairer comparison.

I distinctly recall the austerity measures brought in circa 2010 and the outcry. All I hear now is rejoicing. Same shit just packaged up in a red bow this time.

I am glad most of you have parents well above the pension credit limit but there are a lot who struggle as the state pension is not enough to live on. If you do not get pension credit you have to pay for dental care and eye care.

Sadly my mother needs it, and won’t claim any benefit, and there will be a lot of people like her too, proud not to claim anything other than their regular pension.

Good.

Disgusting that the majority of people here think it's fair. We have £900 per month and pay £250 council tax. Each week we live we dig into savings which are less than the eligibility for pension credit. Not allowed pension credit because of mixed age couple. I'm not a spring chicken. I'm nearly 62 looking for employment. I could cry.

@Noescapefromtheidiots my parents rented. They could not sell up and downsize. We could sell up and downsize to a bedsit I suppose?

Downsizing is for people who own bigger houses. If you already own a cheap house where you live, downsizing is not an option.

Perhaps they could stop child benefit unless you are claiming income related benefits (universal credit/wtc) and also DLa/PIp if your household doesn't have benefits. What else could they apply a sledgehammer to?

Good points well made. I will just observe that in London the Oyster 60+ card is available from one's 60th birthday and gives free travel on all public transport in Greater London after the rush hour on weekdays and all day long on other days. I'm amazed it's lasted this long.

Edited to add I forgot we do pay an annual £10 fee, but if you use public transport a lot you can get that back in a week.

Pensioners are significantly less likely to suffer poverty than other age groups nowadays, so the winter fuel payment based purely on age never made much sense.

On the other hand, cliff edge entitlement thresholds selected simply because they're cheap and easy to administer never go down well.