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?

Wonder what @Coffeerum will be like when she needs help in her old age. Let's hope those around her aren't so as lacking in benevolence.

Because they’re the ones who vote :(

Huh? What do you mean “quit the overkill”? I have reported fact based on my experience. I’m from a family that is very financially comfortable. If they’d didn’t receive a state pension and fuel payments, it wouldn’t dent their finances one jot. It’s like a bit of pocket money.

😂

In what way does it mean you hate pensioners simply to think a benefit to help fuel poverty should be means tested?
Your dramatic personal insults on this are really weird.

You have to love loyalty within families 😀

Your generic pensioner digs are even worse.

Well OP, that’s a “stir it up” headline post if ever I saw one. You might reach pension age yourself one day if you’re lucky, so don’t knock what is given. The vast majority of pensioners aren’t “rolling in it”, which your inflammatory heading to your post would suggest, and the vast majority will need that payment. Not everyone will get £600 either!

This in a nutshell. Fucking infuriating.

That's original. What next, take away all voting privileges for OAPs?

I haven’t made one single “dig” at pensioners.
Feel free to quote what you’re referring to. Stating that a significant number of pensioners are not on a low income and don’t struggle with their heating bill is not a dig at pensioners ….
Seriously what are you on about, your posts are making less and less sense.

How come you get nothing? I thought all pensioners got the winter fuel allowance?

WTF are you talking about? I am categorically stating that my mother receiving taxpayer-funded fuel payments is wrong given that there are so many others in dire need. Her fuel payments don’t go towards fuel bills. Why are you so offended on my mother’s behalf?

Bloomingmagnolia, all I can say to your post @21.17 is that in your case, then your family are very fortunate. Many, many others do not see their state pension, winter fuel payments as “pocket money”, but a necessity.

This is exactly my point - they should not receive it based on their wealth because that money could benefit those in need.

Raffles76 everyone over 18 in this country is entitled to vote, not just the over 66’s. I’m just not sure that everyone entitled to, does so. Those who don’t need to take a long, hard look at themselves.

He knows exactly how I feel about it all, he's the first one to say he doesn't need it, but happily lets it sit in his bank account with his other cash. Besides which, I'm not called Tessabelle in real life and as I've not said anything identifying, how would he know?

But my point is, Bloomingmagnolia that more pensioners than not need that winter fuel payment. Means testing costs a hell of a lot of Money to put in place, and what about the many that might be a pound or two over the means tested cut off?

I love it that we all know the "it's cheaper to give it to all than it is to means test" notion, and we repeat it as if it makes sense. It does not.

The issue is the cost of means testing
With our older population it’s not as easy as seeing how much they earn.

If as MN have mentioned those in big houses could sell, many have loads in savings, and so on
Hence
To truly evaluate the need in a fair way
The Govn would need to see peoples bank accounts and savings, for some in this country and abroad. Then have access to their pensions ….private etc
Hmrc do not have a legal right to our bank accounts unless they believe you are defrauding the Govn by not paying the correct tax etc

So the cost would be huge if the Govn are to assess the need in a fair way.

Thats before we even consider the size of peoples homes and level of insulation, whether you have solar panels etc
Maybe that also should garner how much you get.
After all if your family home that you’ve been in all your life is a small one bedroom ground floor flat it is cheaper to heat that a family home that’s a 3 bed terrace.

Then of course there’s health issues. Maybe some health problems make it difficult for you to jump about and keep warm. If you can jump about and keep warm maybe you should get less money.
😳🤣

I suppose with all the analysis that would be needed to make it really fair there will be a lot more work out there for many more civil servants which means less working age people will be getting benefits but of course that tax payer money will be needed to pay their wages anyway and more tax payers money needed to pay the extra wages that the benefits don’t cover

Phew
That was fun
And what if……………………

Yes, far better that the age group that needs medication more than any other should be unable to pay for it.

This is a depressing thread. Instead of pitting the generations against each other, why aren't you looking at the vast sums wasted by our current government during lockdown and on HS2? Why not campaign for people to pay all the taxes they are due, as a badge of honour, paying their dues to society, instead of letting them choose whether to pay tax or not, which is effectively what happens now? No HMRC capacity to go after tax evaders. Tax avoidance schemes all perfectly legal. Inheritance tax more or less optional.

Thanks for clarifying your point. I agree that the logistics of means testing would cost far more than the wasted money that goes to the wealthy. No system is ideal.

There's always someone on the borderline of a cut off point, be that school starting age, pension age rises, means tested benefits etc. That's not a good reason to not means test a benefit that millions don't ACTUALLY need! I'd rather the money in the pot was used for those that genuinely need it myself

For me it’s just the fact that you think this way about your dad that is so sad!
At least you’re open about it to him I suppose.

So stupid but my dad is a pensioner and he needs it