AIBU to think that winter fuel payments should be means tested?

[PandaSpaniel]

Winter fuel payments (not to be confused with cold weather payments) are payments that are not means tested to anyone born before 1951. Am I missing something here???

If a person has a child under 5 living with them they have to be on a benefit and it has to be very very cold before a payment is given to them.

The Government keeps harping on about cutting benefits, well here is a good idea Slash the funding for keeping oldies warm unless they are on a low income. Why are we paying for people who are more than likely abroad in the winter months????

Oh wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that the majority of Tory voters are older would it?

I personally don't know any pensioners who struggle! And I know quite a few because many of my neighbours are pensioners, and I know a number of pensioners through a my hobbies.

I'm sure some must do, but not around here they don't. They're the only ones with any money!

Ragwort - your parents sound fab. I want to give them a hug!

Zukiecat - yours are quite the opposite. It really is quite sickening to read about very wealthy pensioners treating this money as a nice little bonus and frittering it away on fripperies.

I strongly believe, and never more so than now, that anyone who automatically qualifies for any sort of payment - like the winter fuel payment or child benefit - and who does not actually need it should pass it back to charities etc where it can do some genuine good for people in real need. As at least one other poster has said the welfare state should be about helping those in need, when they need it and I totally agree. It is not about "getting something back" regardless of your income ..... I will never understand that attitude, surely to God if you're fortunate enough to be able to provide for yourself and your family then you should consider yourself lucky (and luckier than many who are incapable of doing that - for all sorts of reasons, and most of those have nothing to do with being lazy, feckless etc) and appreciative you don't need to rely on anything or anyone else to bail you out. To then insist you are "entitled" to something out of severely strained state funds is exceptionally distasteful and selfish IMO .... you pay your taxes as a contribution to society and trust/hope (though I accept it doesn't always seem to work that way) that the powers-that-be will re-distribute the money collected in a fair and responsible way. Taxes do NOT equate to some sort of personal savings plan but to hear some people yapping on about what they're "entitled" to you'd imagine they were.

I certainly think winter fuel allowance should be means tested.
Of course there are poor pensioners, and I feel they should get help towards heating their homes, but it seems insane to give wealthy pensioners this money when it clearly isn't needed.

Statistically, the over 60's are no worse of financially than any other age group, but do seem immune from many of the cuts.

It should absolutely be means tested. The idea of it being universal easing stigma is ridiculous. The stigma should be for an unfair distribution of money where some wealthy elderly are enjoying their spends whilst the impoverished young are cold.

People's "feelings" should surely only come into play once everyone is warm, dry, has enough to eat etc.

My mum, when alive, used to give it to us! She figured we needed it more than her and she was right. My dad presumably gets it, still works full time in the City of London (on a very nice salary thank you), lives mortgage free and also has a 'freedom pass' for the tube worth £1000s. I suspect if he thought about it, he'd donate it to charity but I bet it just goes into his account. I'd rather it went to a more deserving cause, there must be lots of people like him (not that I don't love my dad but he isn't exactly in financial need).

Statistically the over 60s are better off than any other age group @ramblinrose. I'll see if I cna find a link.

Thanks Ethel.
I'm not surprised to hear that.

Yanbu. All benefits should be means tested in order to make sure that there is enough left in the pot for those who need it most.

YANBU. But don't forget; the pensioners are the people most likely to vote. So no political Party will do much to piss them off.

I don't think that cold winter payments, free bus passes should be means tested. However wealthy pensioneres should be made to pay more tax. Means testing is expensive and degrading.

I would like to fuel payments paid directly to the gas company so that there is no tempatation for a pensioner to keep the money and not put on the heating.

My mum's FIL (not my grandad) died the day after his winter fuel bill money came in. She contacted whatever department she needed to contact and said it wasn't needed because he was dead. She was told that as he was a living person on the date that the money was issued that she couldn't return it. So it was just added into his estate.

Now that is stupid. And wasteful.

latara My point exactly! The wealthy pensioners are more likely to vote and the Government does not want to piss them off, so instead they make cuts in other areas. I for one will be voting and I am trying to get my friends to vote too.