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?

It means disabled pensioners won't get it. I think that's pretty bad. Disabled people should get it.

AIUI to be eligible requires a weekly income of less than £218.15. So they'd be eligible if the £884.80pm figure they quoted was calendar monthly, but not if it were a 4 weekly amount. I'd hazard a guess that it's probably the latter since state pension is normally paid every 4 weeks.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g yeah Londoners get lots of things that the rest of us do not. Such as free public transport for children.

I sympathise. It seems that many MNetters only know wealthy pensioners. I'm pretty sure the majority are not and fall between the cracks of getting pension credit and having substantial funds in their bank account!

But it's not being taken off all pensioners.

There are so many people relishing the sight of pensioners being cut down to size. It's rather nauseating. Yes, I shall lose my WFA and that's fine, but my DM only escapes losing it because she gets pension credit. And she's nearly 90.

They are significantly more likely to be up during the night, suffer with ill health and suffer a fall. The heating allowance was made to encourage people to use heating even if they need it during the night.

Yes, that was a great boon to us years ago (my children are over 30 now). It probably does help to keep some cars off the road, which is a good thing in a city as large and densely populated as London.

Edited to add - we do pay for it through our council tax, though. Nothing to stop other big cities following suit, if their council taxpayers/voters would stand for it.

I can just imagine all the hysteria of the Tories had done this

I think it 1972 or 73. And has always been £10 which buys next to nothing these days. Must cost so much in admin.

Good decision,
ridiculous to give money to people that don't need it

Lots not on pension credits do need it, my oarents have state pension each and one small private pension of about £100 a month but do nit receive any benefits and used their winter payment straight in there gas/ elec bills, ahoukd of been means testes at an anount not just those on benefits as sometimes they may be actually better off. I.e in private rent so rent paid and no maintenance on property , no savings needed incase boiler brakes etc. scrapping for all is ill thought out and will leave many struggling

I can only go by friends/family that I know who have received this payment, none of them 'need' it, including my partner - strong move from the new Government.

I'm not sure it will cost much in admin. Means testing is expensive. Making an extra payment to all pensioners once a year with no means testing is probably entirely automated. Agree it could be scrapped, though.

Most people on here seem wealthy. My parents needed it too and were just outside pension credit eligibility.

Just because people are posting saying that the pensioners they know don't need it does not mean it will not have a very negative effect on a lot of less well off retired people who are not eligible for pension credit. This includes me, I have the full state pension and a small NHS pension which I pay income tax on. The Winter fuel payment was a life saver for me, as soon as it hit my account I paid it straight over to my energy provider and it meant that I was far less stressed about having the heating on for an extra hour each day. I am single, I am finding it increasingly harder to cover my bills and feel that really as I appear to have outlived my usefulness to society it would be better if i just dropped dead. Feeling upset and anxious about how I am going to manage this winter and am wondering what the point of it all is.
My council tax as a single person now accounts for almost 10% of my income, I already pay nearly £300 a month in gas and electricity, food is extortionate.

It seems to happen every time someone else is hit, depressing

@Devonbabs exactly ans all those saying my mil doesn’t need wtc, i also work with people who won’t get this who are nit on benefits but really struggle as just over benefits threshold . No one looks at the bigger picture and just think rich pensioners

Do you all have no compassion for those who do need it - and will now lose it. Disgusted with the attitude here.

It’s been taken off all
pensioners who don’t qualify for pension credit. A pensioner with a total income of £10,500 per year won’t get it.

Good stop hammering the children- working families have their entire existence means tested!

Some relatives of mine are in their 70s and will be upset by this news. One was already a victim of the pension changes ( a 'waspi ' woman ) and have always paid their way in life and worked long past retirement and hardly drowning in money, but not poor enough to be eligible for any help.
Whatever the rights and wrongs , it'll definitely upset a large amount of people who already feel hated just because they were born in the 40s or 50s and always worked. They have to pay for heating and not everyone can just ' down size' either or even own a property.
I really can see why she's done it, but it is assuming all pensioners are 'rich 'and many are not.
It's definitely a bold move.

The old stat pension is lower than new state pension. Or not everyone gets a full state pension it depends on how many years NIC stamps you have.

Exactly,

.Parents with kids in independent school
.Elderly WFP

They couldn’t care less. Wait until it hits them and then let’s see what they say