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?

All those people saying their parents/grandparent etc give it to them for costs they're struggling with. That's wonderful that they're doing that for you. But that just means better off older people (who don't actually need it for their own heating bill) are helping their children. The children of the less well off won't get this help. So the money still ends up helping better off families rather than those who need it.

How do you know ‘granny’ didn’t work hard! My mother worked as a nurse until she was 70, walked everywhere she could to save pennies, struggled to put nourishing food on the table and had no luxuries. She did not qualify for anything above her pension.

Perhaps the Government could do public announcement on radio / paper/ tv saying when the payments are due and giving people the option to opt out of receiving them if they don't feel they need them?

No need to do even that, the OPs ‘MIL’ or any pensioner, who doesn’t need the payment can easily go to the .gov website and stop the payment. Link below, maybe the OP could pass it on. But that wouldn’t be half as entertaining in terms of peak goad, would it? Like explaining that not every pensioner gets £600. The OP might not have got the responses they were clearly for then would they.

www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/report-change-circumstances

No, because you conveniently ignore the impact of taxation.
But there's no point trying to have a rational argument given your ignorant generalisations elsewhere so🙄

That's enough for them to means test child benefit!

Can you? I was under the impression you couldn't but I could be wrong.

They already do have the option of stopping the payments.

But what other benefits are the equivalent of £12 a week? None. Even the child allowance is more than that, and thats too complciated / expensive to means test...it's clawed back via income tax. Means tested benefits are those that cost £000s and £000s or tens of £0000s per claim. And lets be honest, everything goverenments do is driven by votes - that's why Tony introduced the winter fuel allowance in the first place!!

Yeah, let them all freeze to death, so we can have their houses.

Poor pensioner here, no savings at all. I've not heard anything about £600. Thought it were £300. But I'd rather young families get it whatever it is.

Older people vote Conservative so the government is generous to this group.
Pensioners are now better off on average than workers Pensioners now earn more than working-age population, report finds | Commentary and insights | Tools | XpertHR.co.uk

Ah - looks like you can these days;

https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/report-change-circumstances

I recall when it was first introduced it wasn't possible. You learn something new every day.

But since for most pensioners their wealth is in savings not income it would probably be far less effective to just go on income

And everyone knows the child benefit set up is stupid but that was a cost benefit analysis - yes many families with large household income will get it who shouldn't but that is the level of waste they are prepared to accept as the cheapest solution

If she doesn't want it she can opt out of receiving it. Most pensioners are glad of it.

Pretty much what it boils down to.

Why not. The amount of benefit some folk are raking in every month never mind per year makes my eyes water sometimes. At least those pensioners have paid into the system.

Pretty obvious it's for votes OP. It's like a neon sign.

Not clear why its worthwhile to means test child benefit but not winter fuel allowance. Maybe someone could do the maths and show me?

And yet they do means test child benefit (and do it in an inequitable manner depending on whether one or two parents work).

No need to do even that, the OPs ‘MIL’ or any pensioner, who doesn’t need the payment can easily go to the .gov website and stop the payment. Link below, maybe the OP could pass it on.

https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/report-change-circumstancess*

Thanks - I'd somehow missed that important point!

report-change-circumstances

@Londonscallingme looks like you can cancel it

Offensive generalisation based on nonsense.