What are all pensioners getting another £300 this winter??

[F0RBIDDENFRUIT]

They are amongst the richest people in the country, yes there are poor pensioners but a lot of them are way richer than anyone else.

£300 more for energy, none of the old people I know need this, they all have more money than their children.

Just because they vote, that is the only reason they can be doing this.

Why not what 😳

Not bitter then? 🙄

Fair point. All the pensioners I know don’t need it. My mum uses the equivalent to take the family out for dinner!

Its better not to approach it as a race to the bottom

Asking "why them not us" gives the government the impression that we are okay with being divided its just where the division is drawn that we are complaining about

If everyone stood together and asked "why not everyone" then it would be more powerful*

*with a government that actually gave a shit...

Get a grip, OP and stop begrudging old people £300. YABU.

My parents got two lots of this payment last time, one for their main home and one for their second home. 🤐

Because they need the heating on more than others, not all old people are rich infact the majority I know are on state pension.

You can enjoy rolling in dosh when you retire 🙄

A vast proportion of pensioners are not well off. You begrudge them an extra £300 just because some others are rich? How fortunate that you don't know any of the poorer ones. I do.

OP,

You are 100% correct.

The payment should be means tested. As should all pensioner benefits.

The time for universal benefits for pensioners has ended. The UK is too broke for this to be financially viable.

Do you refuse things given to all on the grounds you don't need it?

Child benefit?
Free dental treatment for your kids?
Free prescriptions?
Nursery place?
Smear test?

Yes I agree 100%.

The government needs to implement means testing for these sorts of benefits, even if it does cost more initially.

I think the suggestion of means testing has been raised before and it appeared that means testing would cost the tax payer more than just making a universal payment.
I gave my energy payment to my local foodbank last winter. It seemed a reasonable option, although I am aware that that it isn't perfect.

Well, my parents need it. They are on a fixed income and just have their state pension and a very small occupational pension, which takes them above the threshold for Pension Credit, but not by much at all. All their bills have increased way beyond the inflationary rise they got in their pensions so they are worse off each month, and rely on heating oil which is volatile in its pricing and has no energy cap. They have no way to increase their fixed incomes. This is common for many in their age bracket.

I think you will be grateful for the same concessions when you are old, OP. And if it was means tested, this payment would have to stop, because it would cost more to administer than it does to just make the payment universal.

This, health needs,.frailty etc.

Not every pensioner is rolling in money.

Too administer means testing would be more expensive than making the payments

The Tories will do more to support older people because they tend to be their voters, and people tend not to begrudge welfare spending on pensioners as most of us will get it eventually. Pensioners on average have more disposable income than working age people. However there are clearly a lot of older people who are not well off and they don't have the options to increase hours or swap jobs like working people.

There are a fair few pensioners near me who rely on this to get them through a Scottish winter. They are not all rich, many are renters so not sitting on massive equity or savings.

Means testing per se probably costs more than it saves, but linking payment to other benefits , such as pension credits, housing benefit, attendance allowance, would make more sense to me.

Likewise with other freebies - I have a free over 60s bus pass - not sure that many people actually pay for bus journeys around here.

I know of someone who tried to opt out of this and it wasn’t actually possible.

I don’t begrudge the payment but it’s certainly true that most pensioners don’t need it and a large proportion are not the very elderly and frail but in fact living their best lives and enjoying retirement.

I guess having even a couple of old ladies dying in freezing conditions is a very bad look for the government- this is of course a cynical view and not in any way my own opinions.

My parents (£600k in the bank, state pensions and very generous occ pensions, retired at 55) get this. Last time they spent it on a luxury holiday.

It’s ridiculous OP but you’ll get shredded on here for pointing it out.

There is a vast array of universal pensioner benefits.

Why should a wealthy pensioner get access to a free bus pass?

Why should a wealthy pensioner get free prescriptions?

These ALL need to be means tested now as a collective.

Its right that poorer pensioners should have help.

It is not right that wealthy pensioners get additional non-means tested benefits.

The UK is financially crippled because of an ageing demographic with too many universal pensioner benefits.

This has to come to an end.

But it would Always cost more! You do know that those pensioners who have a decent income pay tax don’t you? I don’t get my state pension yet, but when I do my private pension will be taxed 20%. Taxes that are used for education, benefits for low income families, prisons and many other things that won’t benefit me. Can I stop paying taxes then?

I think you would be surprised at how many do actually need the money

are you going to hand yours back when you are old enough for it?

I am shocked that you seem to think pensioners are well off....some are but many, many more aren't.
When I retire (not so long now) I shall have the state pension only, that's what I'll have to live on. Can you live on £10,600 a year? Fortunately I have a low rent, I'm not bothered about having holidays and my food needs are very modest. But I won't be keeping the car as I won't be able to afford it.
For a pensioner, £300 can seem like a lottery win....for other people that's 'just' a week or so's food....

My state pension is £139 a week.
Yes, I need it and I'm still over £1000 in debit with the energy company 🙄

And yes, it’s because a) the size of their voting demographic and b) the fact that their demographic is highly resistant to voting for anything that isn’t in their self-interest.

Any party that proposes to remove something from them doesn’t get elected. Both parties know this.