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.

But they are proportionately nowhere near as many working people that have to choose between eating and heating.

By the way have you suggested to struggling workers that they can just earn more money..?

Had the OP returned?...how convenient.

@TheThinkingGoblin

Crap. Lots of people pay into pension funds for old age, and far more now than ever before, (no doubt because the government can’t afford to continue to pay out) those pensions funds buy into companies etc through shares so helping the economy, ie using our money to support the economy,

People also pay NI for a shedload of stuff they they don’t use in their working life, the childless still pay towards education, the healthy still pay towards the nhs they don’t use, and so on.

the state pension is a benefit, so are you now saying that actually wealthy pensioners should get the state pension either?

Or are you just bitter because you haven’t worked hard for your future, and will have toreply of a stat pension only like lots of us?

it’s not something I am bitter about as it’s a choice made by an adult

That’s nice but why, when we have a government deficit (we are borrowing money to pay for things like pensioner benefits) are the uk government giving out universal payments to people who don’t need them?

Presumably because means testing would cost more and use even more ££ that should be spent elsewhere?

Then why doesn’t that apply to all benefits?

It should be means tested. My MIL certainly doesn't need it.

Same with many disabled people and their carers

This is not correct.

The average age for inheritance in the UK is 61 (as OAPs live to 80s and 90s).

Waiting for that "inheritance" is actually a negative because it increases inter-generational inequality (between members of the generational population cohorts such as Gen X, Millenials etc) AND destabilises inter-generation inequality (between member of same population cohort).

It also does nothing to improve productivity as the child would be too old (61) to start a family.

Basically, its a drag on productivity and economic growth.

Mt dm gets a tiny state pension as she paid reduced NI as a married woman and then my df left her but they never divorced , fortunately she does get a small work pension.
She lives on £1200 per month and would freeze without the fuel allowance.

And one who definitely hasn't done their homework.

On the subject of homework, I wonder :- whether OP has any children being educated in State schools? Whether they use GP/hospital services? Whether any kids get free dental treatment? etc. etc\ Never mind, I'm sure the OP will be first in line to hand £300 back just as soon as retirement happens and they join the 'idle rich' pensioners. Yeah, right...

A luxury holiday on £300? I'm sure a lot of us would be up for that, pensioners or not.

It certainly did and the way that has been done is, as you say, bloody unfair.

No they don't. Pensioners don't pay NI, which reduces their income tax burden. They also typically have the option to generate income through capital gains (ie. selling down positions in their private pensions) which gives them an extra 12k in tax free 'income'. CGT is 20% and not tiered so a wealthy pensioner can structure their finances so they pay a flat rate of 20% tax on everything over £24k (approx. - I haven't checked this years allowances). I don't have the option to do that because I am subject to higher rate income tax and I have to pay NI.

Edit to add - I have just remembered that the CGT allowance has actually been reduced by 50% this year to 6k so I should have said that a pensioner can pay a flat rate of 20% tax on everything over 18k.

Would you stand in front of someone who is 100 & tell them that they are not entitled to £300, to their face ?

I believe that a good society is based on how it looks after its children, sick & elderly

You may be elderly in the future !

Not impressed !

The hatred of the elderly on MN is embarrassing! Also the defending of those who have put NOTHING into the system that they live off while giving nothing back! It really doesn't reflect the real world.

How do you think many of the rights we currently have were won? By people getting off their bums and getting active politically. By people getting out and voting. By people marching, protesting, striking, lobbying their MPs. A lot of the people who did all that are the people you are all piling hate on now.

In France Macron wants to raise the pension age. Did you miss what the reaction has been over there?

It is just so intellectually lazy to fall for the scapegoating. One week it is refugees. The next it is pensioners. Then the disabled. It goes on and on. And some Mumsnetters fall for it all.

The assumption on here is that all pensioners are rich, far from the truth. I'm on the old state pension of £156. 20 per week as is my DH. I also have a couple of small private pensions. Pensioners pay tax as well. As regards the bus pass, we use it to go out, if my DH and I had to pay we wouldn't pay into the economy by going to theatres, cinemas and meals out.

@SueVineer

as a pensioner I can confirm that I don’t pay ni on my pension, however I do pay tax. I also have to work , I pay tax and ni on the money I earn from my job as I am not at state pension age, I can only claim my occupational pension

clear for you?

that Will be the same for lots of people who have had goal posts moved over the movement of state pension age to 67.

yes once at 67 NI will stop, but tax continues

And this is why it should be means tested

I think it's just easier and cheaper to give it to all pensioners than to means test it. My DP gets a state pension but still works, to be honest we don't need the £500 allowance. Last year it paid for a weekend in Europe. This year it will probaley be used towards another holiday. Our fuel bills are £90 a month. We are both out of the house most of day.

Do people on here who think pensioners all live in the lap of luxury know how most of those pensioners lived during their working lives?

Firstly fewer than 10% went to university, the other 90% started to work and pay tax at 15 or 16.

Women could perfectly legally be paid less than men, and be sacked for being pregnant.

Maternity leave was 6 weeks, after that employers had no obligation to take workers back.

There was no free or subsidised child care, nor school nursery. Children started school at 5.

Personally I think that after a working life of 52 years the least we can do is make sure they don't freeze in the winter. I could get a lot more worked up about families with two large incomes sponging off me for their free nursery hours.

Don’t be pedantic. They spent it on their luxury holiday. It went towards it. Clearly it didn’t cover it. But none of that is the point, is it? It’s not what taxpayers’ money should be used for.

This^^

yup, couldn't agree more. it should just be given to the vulnerable ones.

It’s knocking off time in Moscow so hopes aren’t high