To think that with over 1million pensioners in poverty, removing the WFA makes Labour the nasty party, who tell blatant lies?

[TealTraybake]

And hypocritical lies at that. Just a few months ago Labour ‘vowed to be the party for pensioners’

‘Nearly 1 million people aged over 66 in the UK are living in deprivation, according to government statistics, the highest number since comparable records began.
Labour, which analysed figures from Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) records, has vowed to be the party for pensioners, with plans to insulate millions of homes and reduce energy bills. It has also “committed to retaining” the triple lock which guarantees annual rises to the state pension’

I understand the WFA should be means tested - but the current threshold is far too low. Food prices have gone up. Energy prices have gone up. Some pensioners need that WFA 🥺.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/16/nearly-1m-uk-pensioners-deprivation-official-figures

😑

https://www.independent.co.uk/business/reeves-defends-claiming-energy-expenses-and-insists-winter-fuel-cuts-right-move-b2610926.html

The hourly “WFA / aren’t Labour awful” thread is here

Just wondering what you are an expecting to be said, that’s not been said, in the many other posts we have had on exactly the same topic ???

I’m not surprised at Labour at all. They have always lied Perhaps if Kier Starmer actually paid for his own glasses and suits and stopped al MPs from claiming help with their energy bills he might have a tiny bit of credibility

@ExtraOnions one thread was removed for some reason. I missed all the excitement due to having a life (now and then).

Agreed. They really do have zero credibility right now.

I'd like the threshold to be higher, but I'm getting really tired of people whinging about the poor pensioners when people of working age and disabled people have had zero protection for the past 14 years. The pain needs to be shared for a change. Ideally this would be done better, but as a policy idea it's fair.

And let's not forget how much the state pension has risen over the past 2 years.

They’re no worse than the Tories who have treated the sick and disabled like shit for years and wilfully chose to starve the poorest children during a pandemic. Just a couple of examples.

I don’t disagree that this cap could have been planned better but I have no problem with the winter fuel allowance being means tested.

Go searching there is still plenty more .. or I can save your time

“aren’t Labour awful”

some posters “yes, they are freezing pensioners to death”

others “My Parents / In Laws have plenty of money, of course it should be means tested”

ad infinitum …

It’s like the tedious VAT in schools posts which have (thankfully) reduced.

I wasn't surprised at all.

It’s means tested. The poorest will get it.
Why should people like my aunt and uncle with literally hundreds of thousands in the bank get a winter fuel payment- crazy!

Yeah well, being of the generation that now has a £60k student loan debt, house prices 8 billion times my salary, affected by endless cuts to public services (have been asked already this school year to buy my son nearly £100 worth of resources just for him to be able to study for his GCSEs because it is unaffordable for the school) etc etc etc I personally think it's time the older generations took their turn at being affected by austerity.

They're not the only ones with fucking massive energy bills 🙄most of the rest of us have fucking massive mortgages too.

The poorest still get it
The pension is going up by more anyway
My millionaire in-laws do not need it. Neither do my not millionaire but perfectly comfortable parents

I also feel the cap should be higher or the means test more complex

But OP - how would you deal with an economy wrecked by 14 years pf mismanagement?

I'd rather have a discussion on solutions than yet another aren't they shit thread.

It's a bit lazy

Well, the ones living in poverty won't be the ones having the winter fuel allowance cut... And as a pp has stated, they are having a rise in their pension amount. So you can calm down @TealTraybake

.

All the champagne socialists with the rich parents are always on these threads

The threshold is too low.

Those on full state pension who won't get the winter fuel allowance it are just pounds above those who will along with pension credit.

I agree well off pensioners shouldn't get it but let's not pretend there aren't poor pensioners just above the threshold who will be really suffering this winter.

This

How do you define poverty?

You realise that those with only a full state pension are only a few £s a month better off than those in receipt of pension credit?

Are they not in poverty?

People who qualify for pension credit still get the WFA don't they?
There is a cut off for every means tested benefit as far as I'm aware.

Which is exactly the same as millions of families who earn a crappy wage but it's just a few pounds over the UC threshold so they get nothing.

There has to be a cut off somewhere

Just for clarity

The full state pension is £221.20 for a single person

If you're a single person you can get pension credit if you have up to £218.15 a week income

Therefore the cut off for winter fuel payment is only £3 more a week than those deemed to need it.

That is what is unfair

1m pensioners live in deprivation...

1.4m receive pension credit and will continue to get WFA.

Your point is?

I am interested to know where other people, especially to OP and those making snarky comments, would make cuts?

They have to be made - the economy is struggling - the tories fucked up everything - so rather than making silly comments and insults can we discuss solutions?

It’s the deceit of Labour as much as anything. Oh no wait, they had to do it because of the black hole….

By not giving whopping pay rises to fucking train drivers? If there’s such an immense black hole why the fuck would you prioritise rewarding already very well-paid people?