Genuine question re pensioner fuel payment cut

[Katypp]

Just this: How would the Labour supporters react if three weeks into a new Conservative Government, the chancellor cut the winter fuel payment to any pensioner with an income of more than £11k?
Would you think it was a reasonable thing to do or would it be considered cruel because it was the Tories implementing it, not Labour?
I would imagine Angela Raynor, Yvette Cooper and Wes Streeting would have been very vocal and worried about it.
Would the public finances argument wash if it was a Tory Government? It didn't when Cameron came into power.
What's different?

I think the cut off it too low however I know plenty of very wealthy pensioners who get it.

I don't agree with the low bar on the cut off.
What concerns me more is kier heartfelt outage when the tories mentioned this a while back.

And now it's one of the first things they have done.

He's massive fucking hypocrite.

£10 to an elderly person on the breadline is worth quite a lot really. Just shows how out of touch with poverty you are.

Yes, they are. A lot of people passed it on to charity.

Ah I see the wannabe comedians are now joining in. Don't give up the day job.

Yes but many aren't wealthy.

It's a slippery slope, what next.

Because winter fuel payments usually start being paid from November so if they didn't announce it now some OAP's would just have no warning that they weren't going to get their usual WFP.

@2dogsandabudgie You’re being unnecessarily provocative in your responses.

I see you're writing your own material these days? 😀

Why announce this contentious policy now?

Because the letters informing pensioners that they’re getting it and how much go out next month. The Budget would be too late.

This generation of pensioners will likely be the last to benefit from state pensions at a relatively young age. Youngsters will now possibly have to work until they’re 70.

Well let's hope that all these supposedly wealthy pensioners can find time between their cruises and champagne lifestyle to still donate to these charities out of their own pockets. After all if they're that loaded as many on here claim they won't miss it will they.

This isn't about the ones who are well off, but the many pensioners who are living on the breadline.

Lots of children are living on the breadline which is despicable in this day and age

It doesn’t take much time to make a donation. Less than a minute online.

Maybe they should just stop it for everyone, afterall if someone a few pence above the pension credit limit doesn't need it then neither does the person on pension credit.

I think people can't read the thread.

If they have worked for full state pension they don't get it.

Report me then if you think what I'm saying is not within the guidelines. I haven't said anything offensive or called people names.

I agree. It shouldn't be universal, but a higher cut off point would be better. The challenge is then balancing the cost of means testing against other ways the money could be spent.

No that’s true you haven’t but you seem very angry

@Cattery expats in Europe haven’t received winter fuel payments since 2015.

The threshold needs to be at least £15k.
My df doesn’t need it but my dm does. She’s just over the threshold and will suffer unnecessarily.

Yes it is despicable I agree but I don't think elderly vulnerable people should be penalised for that do you? It doesn't have to be one or the other.

I work in the field the department issues them, this is the information we’ve been given so far.

Yes I am angry, I thought the Labour Government might just be good for this country, didn't think they would target the vulnerable but they have and they have also gone back on what they said about not building on greenbelt land. They've only been in a few weeks so I am very disappointed.

Yes, they are. And yet labour won’t remove the 2 child benefit cap.

Let's hope its gone by the time you benefit from it hey?

My mother was a pensioner. She was a single parent to 2 kids. She worked as much as she could and benefits were a pittance in the 1980s and 90s.

She fled an abusive marriage and my dad stayed abroad. He hid all his wealth and assets whilst he was abroad. So she got fuck all from him.

When she finally retired she lived in poverty. I used to take her for coffees and lunches every weekend and take her shopping (so I could pay for it) as I knew she couldn't pay for things.

When she died last year there was a lot I didn't know about. She had a huge credit card bill and looking at the statements it was food and essentials. It had racked up as she was paying the minimum.

She was barely surviving despite being to entitled to all the additional extras including pension credit. She was in her 80s so working wasn't possible unlike many young parents who won't.

OP is absolutely right. If the tories have done this they would be crucified. Because its your precious labour they can do no wrong.

How about parents stop with tongues hanging out for every penny for the kids they wanted and chose to breed.

Listen to you all- free breakfast clubs- you don't even want to feed your kids. You had the kids you pay for them.

I'm absolutely delighted labour have done this. They just ensured the tory return at the next election.