WTF? £600 winter fuel allowance for all pensioners!

[user1497207191]

No wonder the country has no money and the deficit/debt is getting bigger.

MIL just phoned up saying she'd got a letter telling her £600 was on the way to her and asking why, when she doesn't need it?

Just why??? She's not claiming means tested benefits. Her state and her husband's occupational pension are already far more than she needs to live on, meaning she saves a few hundred pounds a month into ISAs (which already stand at over £100k). Owns her own house, so no rent/mortgage.

Why the hell can't this money be directed at those who actually need it or more worthy causes? It's insane to keep throwing money at people who don't need it.

She doesn't need it, she doesn't want it. She wouldn't miss it if it wasn't paid to her.

If they can means test the child benefit and claw it back from those earning over £50k, why can't they come up with a way of ensuring winter fuel allowance is only paid to those who may need it? Why not only paid to those pensioners claiming pension credits, or rent allowance, or whatever?

The £600 payment is not new, because of the expense of means testing it goes to everyone over 80, I think. Despite what the far left say, most pensioners are not ‘rich’, especially older divorced women

@Jmaho im not being holy about it. As I said in my post, I love them dearly and don’t begrudge them their money. Yes, they have worked hard and yes at some points I happen to know they were skint. I also hope, when we are retired due to good financial decisions we make now to be the same position as them fingers crossed 🤞. However, I still stand by the fact that maybe it should be means tested. They would even admit they don’t need £600 when young families are maybe struggling, the money could be put to better use. If I’m wealthy when I’m 60 I would feel uncomfortable about the government giving me money I don’t need, and would probably donate it to my kids or charity. Ok?

But do 75 year old pensioners want to do their own gardening / house maintenance? This one does. Thanks for the generalisation.

I am a grandparent and trust me after working all my life since the age of 15, I do not have thousands in the bank. But yes the system is broken ,people who have never worked seem to prosper more than those who have.

What has "the far left" got to do with it?

However, I still stand by the fact that maybe it should be means tested. They would even admit they don’t need £600 when young families are maybe struggling, the money could be put to better use. In principle, yes. But that depends on the cost of means testing. In an ideal world, it would mean that some of the budget to be diverted to other people in need. But it could mean that the money "saved" is entirely spent on the means testing, which seems a bit pointless (except it would provide employment) or it could even mean that the money left isn't sufficient to pay all those judged to be in need.

There are much bigger fish to fry if you want meaningful diversion of resources from the rich to those in need.

Nothing stopping her from returning it. She doesn't have to use it. The majority of pensioners in this country are only just above Pension Credit entitlement so we can't claim anything. Certainly need mine.

She is perfectly entitled to refuse it or donate it to charity. Many many pensioners really struggle to pay their heating bills and are grateful for hellp

Some do, and are fit enough to, and some won't and/or can't. My Mum is nearly 91 and still doing all the light jobs in house and garden. Many of her friends and neighbours are similar. It helps to keep her physically and mentally active. I also think it's good for everyone to have a mix of ages in their community.

Its disgusting…

Spot on. Some of the people moaning about how tight money is when you have dependent children seem to forget that most older people went through that phase too. It comes across as just as illogical as being envious of a colleague who's finished her shift and is going home, because the moaner is just starting hers.

Not really. I thought the discussion was about people who don't really need it being given money. Or, does it only apply to 'old' people.

If they don’t need it they will probably spend it which will also benefit the economy.

I can only speak for my own experience but my dad’s gas bill was £400 a month. Caveat that my mum was immobile and had heart failure and dementia. My dad has declined now mum has died and he feels the cold more than ever. I don’t begrudge the elderly getting this payment but then again my dad is in his 80’s. I think perhaps when they were 60/70 they may not have needed it.
I don’t know the solution as there will always be people who need it and those that don’t but how do you decide?

No, most of them just squirrel it away with all their other savings and then whinge about low interest rates!

☝️☝️☝️

And most of their adult DC will complain about how unfair it all is until they get their inheritance. Then they won't give a fig about how the elderly parents squirreled away all that lovely dosh.

@DoraSpenlow it's about the winter fuel allowance specifically for pensioners.

Yes, it’s odd how they all stop complaining about pensioner wealth when the money moves down a generation.

This is so true. I work in benefits advice work and honestly some of the amounts people get, all rent and council tax paid etc, yet those with a tiny private pension ( because they have actually worked0 are penalised. I recently had a client that who had not lived or worked in the Uk for donkey's years -was bumming around Australia etc. Came back here and as a Uk citizen was able to claim full pension credit, full housing benefit all council tax paid, multiple £300 costs of living payments. It's a joke. I seriously need a new job !

And most of their adult DC will complain about how unfair it all is until they get their inheritance. Then they won't give a fig about how the elderly parents squirreled away all that lovely dosh.

Not everyone gets an inheritance.

Wow, how is that even possible? Did they pay up their missing pension contributions for the time they were in Australia or is there another loophole?

The offspring of the alleged millionaires will.

The offspring of the alleged millionaires will.

Not everyone leaves their money to their children. I used to work for a not for profit and it was not uncommon for people to leave their estate to the charity despite having families. Inheritance is not a guarantee nor a right.

And how some of them busily look for ways to protect their inheritance and avoid selling their parents ' house to pay care home fees. Those who do that are happy enough to try to get the state to pick up the tab.