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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Every household?????

638 replies

Trainfromredhill · 26/05/2022 22:33

So, the chancellor is going to give every household £400 for heating. Surely there should be a cut off of household income? The Beckhams, Elton John, james Dyson, Harry styles…….they all get the money too? . I say this as someone in the fortunate position of not needing the £400- I’d much rather it went to someone who does need it.Just seems a huge waste of public money to give it to everyone

OP posts:
MarshaBradyo · 28/05/2022 19:47

Happyher · 28/05/2022 19:00

It’s really cheap to administer £5billion universally. All that needs to happen is the Energy Providers supply their number of customers in a verifiable agreed way and the govt can pass on their share of the money and then the energy providers credit all their accounts with £400.

To restrict it means some kind of means testing. This means civil servants, IT systems, some qualifying criteria and a method of assessment, a method of payment, a two stage appeals process, court cases, fraud investigations. All this will gobble up a large portion of the £5billion.

Giving the £150 via a council tax rebate was a simple method but it was flawed because people living in band E or above might also be in fuel poverty

Yes to this

imo are overlooking how difficult and costly it would be to do

carefullycourageous · 28/05/2022 19:51

Funny how it is always deemed cost saving to give a bung to everyone at the top end of the scale, but wasteful to give additional support universally at the bottom end of the scale.

It is all bollocks - Sunak is just trying to save Johnson's skin.

MarshaBradyo · 28/05/2022 19:53

carefullycourageous · 28/05/2022 19:51

Funny how it is always deemed cost saving to give a bung to everyone at the top end of the scale, but wasteful to give additional support universally at the bottom end of the scale.

It is all bollocks - Sunak is just trying to save Johnson's skin.

I thought there was extra support to bottom end? The £650 etc to bank accounts

how would you do it?

nothing or just the £650 to lowest incomes

Huxley1234 · 28/05/2022 19:53

Yes I agree . There are people who are just above the threshold for receiving benefits who pay tax that makes this payment possible and should be entitled to the help toward this rise in their energy bill.

LoisLane66 · 28/05/2022 20:04

People with second homes do not get it twice. Please check your facts before posting comments.

gamerchick · 28/05/2022 20:04

poppy990 · 28/05/2022 19:06

Give it to charity if you don’t need it 🤷‍♀️

How?

Crystal8559 · 28/05/2022 20:05

Easy “problem” to fix, if you are in a position where you do not need the £400 just donate it to a family you may know who is struggling by transferring it to them, or donate to a worthy cause if your choice.

jaynecooper · 28/05/2022 20:07

People who don’t want it/ need it can donate to the NHS or any charity they like🤷🏼‍♀️

carefullycourageous · 28/05/2022 20:09

LoisLane66 · 28/05/2022 20:04

People with second homes do not get it twice. Please check your facts before posting comments.

I think they do, if they pay a fuel bill in both houses, which they almost certainly will. The £400 is just going to be credited to the fuel bill isn't it? Therefore two fuel bills = two £400 credits.

TmFid · 28/05/2022 20:12

Trainfromredhill · 26/05/2022 22:33

So, the chancellor is going to give every household £400 for heating. Surely there should be a cut off of household income? The Beckhams, Elton John, james Dyson, Harry styles…….they all get the money too? . I say this as someone in the fortunate position of not needing the £400- I’d much rather it went to someone who does need it.Just seems a huge waste of public money to give it to everyone

So Rishi Rich himself will probably get £400 for EACH of his 12 houses?

LoisLane66 · 28/05/2022 20:13

If you took it at face value and agree that pensioners count amongst the 'vulnerable' in society no matter their income, they would not only get £300 for being of pensionable age but also £400 for being in the vulnerable bracket PLUS £150 if they're also disabled PLUS a 10% pension uplift next year.
Where is this coming from?
Will the £400 energy help go straight to your bank account or straight to your energy company? What if you have gas and electricity with two different companies?
What about renters, some of whom have their energy payments included in their rent therefore it's not in their name?
It's a cat's cradle of a mess.

DaphneSprucesPippasClack · 28/05/2022 20:13

RoomOfRequirement · 26/05/2022 22:35

I think it's usually because the admin costs of working out who is entitled and figuring out a cut off that is fair to everyone is more than the money they save.

Yep this is correct. It's cheaper to give to all than it is to administer a cut off point and apply it.

LoisLane66 · 28/05/2022 20:15

It's PER HOUSEHOLD, not per property. You aren't living in both properties simultaneously.

SlightlyGeordieJohn · 28/05/2022 20:17

Strawberriesaregreat · 28/05/2022 19:33

Itsnot fair that people who have 2 homes get double. If you're hard up then sell the second property. What a piss take.

How so? It’s not supposed only to go to the poorest, it’s for everyone.

carefullycourageous · 28/05/2022 20:17

LoisLane66 · 28/05/2022 20:15

It's PER HOUSEHOLD, not per property. You aren't living in both properties simultaneously.

It is going to be applied to each household fuel account, is what I read. Thus 2 x fuel accounts = 2 x £400 applied.

How do you think it is going to be administered?

SlightlyGeordieJohn · 28/05/2022 20:18

gamerchick · 28/05/2022 20:04

How?

You use the £400 that you were going to pay your bill with. Money is fungible.

carefullycourageous · 28/05/2022 20:19

DaphneSprucesPippasClack · 28/05/2022 20:13

Yep this is correct. It's cheaper to give to all than it is to administer a cut off point and apply it.

Same applies to universal basic income - funnily enough the Tories argued the opposite for that!

NeverDropYourMooncup · 28/05/2022 20:30

Hhoney · 26/05/2022 22:49

I’m probably in the bracket that misses out on everything but still has to penny pinch. My husband and I earn about £100k per year between us. We don’t get child benefit and are not eligible for the council tax refund.

We are struggling at the moment. After all bills paid we used to have about £400 left each month for non necessities (clothes, eating out, adding to savings, entertainment etc.) Our council tax has gone up by £60 a month, energy by £120 a month (will be more in winter) and food by about £150 a month. Other bills have risen too (childcare, insurance, fuel). We have nothing left at the end of each month anymore.

I’m grateful that I’ve not been left out of this benefit.

Ah, you poor thing.

I took home £1600 a month (to support two people) before the National Insurance increase and didn't qualify for it either because my rented property was built after the cut off date for lower council tax bands, as most people living in social housing built with the last two decades in the south are.

Your struggles pain me greatly.

Oh, wait...

Barney60 · 28/05/2022 20:44

Oh, i heard it was those on some form of benefit/pension credit that got paid it, hope im wrong.
Also in bracket where i get nothing although im a low earner, not a big spender (£13,000) i have savings ive gone without to save as i have no pension. system is totally in my opinion F*** up.

LoisLane66 · 28/05/2022 20:49

Hands up, I was wrong. How can people with second homes get two lots of help as they are only in one place at any one time?

rainingsnoring · 28/05/2022 20:50

carefullycourageous · 28/05/2022 19:51

Funny how it is always deemed cost saving to give a bung to everyone at the top end of the scale, but wasteful to give additional support universally at the bottom end of the scale.

It is all bollocks - Sunak is just trying to save Johnson's skin.

Yes exactly. Funny how they have ruled out reinstating the £20 uplift to UC but are happy to throw money at everyone including the wealthy now. Utterly ridiculous to suggest that people give it to charity. They know many people don't need it and that it is potentially inflationary (Johnson on record saying this) and that it may discourage investment (again on record saying this) but they are still doing it.

MarshaBradyo · 28/05/2022 20:55

rainingsnoring · 28/05/2022 20:50

Yes exactly. Funny how they have ruled out reinstating the £20 uplift to UC but are happy to throw money at everyone including the wealthy now. Utterly ridiculous to suggest that people give it to charity. They know many people don't need it and that it is potentially inflationary (Johnson on record saying this) and that it may discourage investment (again on record saying this) but they are still doing it.

What about those who are just above that?

There was a woman on the radio with two dc who said she really needed the £400 help

Would you prefer she didn’t get it?

rainingsnoring · 28/05/2022 21:12

MarshaBradyo · 28/05/2022 20:55

What about those who are just above that?

There was a woman on the radio with two dc who said she really needed the £400 help

Would you prefer she didn’t get it?

What do you think they should do @MarshaBradyo ?

Trainbear · 28/05/2022 21:13

So it's a morality test if you can afford to donate the equivalent amount.

Also you can piss it up against the wall, either with champagne or Buckfast.

What will Y O U do?

pinkpantherpink · 28/05/2022 21:15

Yeah. Rishi Sunak and his 4 houses gets it 4x

My low income single parent friend who pays utilities with rent gets nothing