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?

That's because there's plenty of virtue signallers on here. I agree with you. They also criticise the vulnerable, such as the disabled being oppressed but happily wade into OAPs. Hypocrites.

Child benefit isn’t strictly means tested, though. A couple can earn £49k each and still get it. Another couple could earn £50k and £20k but not receive it. So one couple can be earning £28k more than another and get over £1k a year in child benefit on top.

Exactly, but those 'well off' couples wont be expected to donate their allowance to foodbanks etc. Funny that.

The Child Benefit criteria were obviously dreamed up by the same incompetent civil servants that came up with the Waspi women’s transition scheme. They were probably drunk at the time.

@BIossomtoes civil servants follow policy - government conjure it while holding parties and ignoring their own rules.

My DM's friends go on holiday with their winter fuel - what's the equality in that !!!! we turn off the heating, wear layers and put a hot water bottle in the beds. AND we have not had a holiday this year - let alone a FREE ONE !!
(the friend lives in a rented one bedroomed sheltered housing - and this is not the first time they use their WFA for holidays - they do it every bloody year !! FUMING !!!!!
😡

😅

They don't go very far on the usual £200 then.

Exactly. Call civil servants work out the detail. Both those examples are detail - incompetence verging on fuckwittery.

Yeah, where are they going, a day trip to Bognor?

You need to find something actual to be fuming about.

Some Pensioners might be rich but still worry about money and not put the heating on, so get ill and cost the nhs more. But if they give them all a big payment, they hopefully won’t worry and will then put the heating on. I have a friend with a learning disability. She gets the equivalent of far more than I earn in benefits, reduced payments, free travel, food banks, free school meals etc. However, she doesn’t put on lights and heating because she’s been told by her mum to be careful. Therefore, her children are freezing in winter, boiling in summer and sit in the dark. An extra payment of £600 winter fuel allowance would allow me to keep repeating that she has had £600 for the heating. My Dad is absolutely skint, as a pensioner, but doesn’t qualify for extra benefits. He certainly doesn’t put on the heating and has many health ailments. Sadly, I feel the £600 will go on living costs but hopefully it will allow him to put his heating on when it is cold.

Keep the entertaining stories coming. Mega rich parents and annual holidays, courtesy of fuel allowance..brightens up a cold Sunday. 🥶

Perhaps not everywhere but London pensioners can move into future proof / one level living in communities where everyone is over 60

Oh, what joy!!

Well no, child benefit is for the benefit of the child... not sure how giving it away does that.

(nobody is "expected" to donate anything by the way)

I'm still waiting for the posts from the financially comfortable mumsnetters who donated their £400 fuel discount from the government last year.

So far only one has mentioned a related charity drive in their area.

So it's pick and choose as to who is a worthy beneficiary? 🤔 well off family take the money for the benefit of the child. Well off OAPs don't even expect the money.

👏 you will be told that's not quite the gotcha you think! 😉

But do 75 year old pensioners want to do their own gardening / house maintenance?

This one does. Thanks for the generalisation

My neighbour's 86 and he's building a shed. Very expertly.
And he grows all his own vegetables, as do we 70 year old spring chickens.

Yep. Financially comfortable pensioners are expected to give away their WFA or be considered extremely selfish. Comfortable middle aged mumsnetters have an absolute right to keep their £400.

Tory Britain innit. Keeping the voter base happy.

That ignorant presumption is past its sell by date now.

It’s the thread equivalent of Cancel the cheque.

Misread so edited

True!