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

Well my guess is change inheritance tax rules. Change capital gains tax. Possibly abolish single persons discount on council tax.

The cut off at the moment is cruel and unnecessary and a lot more pensioners will suffer or end up in hospitals because of this and it will be remembered a Labour government did this

I assume they are not on the basic state pension at around £12k per year

Having worked the required years to get that rather than pension credit

There's a broad spectrum outside your mum and dad

Someone getting a full state pension must’ve paid NI from working for enough years so should’ve been paying into a private pension for that time too, so they should have that income as well.

I do. My family are impacted by it. Whilst I can understand there are richer and poorer pensioners I can't understand people who don't appreciate not all pensioners are so well off

This

Labour supposedly the party of the vulnerable. Nasty .

How is making it worse for pensioners who are too cold and have other issues in poverty helping the NHS?

If you listened to those speaking on this excess cold will exacerbate falls and other conditions

And fuel - gas and electric- has reduced some what

If someone’s worked the required years to get a full state pension they should’ve been paying into a private pension during those working years as well.

The vulnerable will be eligible for pension credit, so they’ll still get this winter fuel payment and other support too.

@Changingplace

"Someone getting a full state pension must’ve paid NI from working for enough years so should’ve been paying into a private pension for that time too, so they should have that income as well."

That's assuming that they got private pensions worth anything. A lot of people will only have modest ones from when they were introduced by the last government

Mn does seem to have a high amount, it's inevitable with this Labour policy to defend

And those who are not well off will still get it.

@Changingplace

"The vulnerable will be eligible for pension credit, so they’ll still get this winter fuel payment and other support too."

Pensioners who get the full state pension are not getting the winter fuel payment

The full state pension is approx £3 more than the cut off for pension credit.

Does £3 a week more make them not vulnerable?

Can you understand not everyone has the capacity for a private pension?

A minimum wage earner can work those years, that is who will be struggling with the basic state pension

The poorest still get it
Pensions are going up
Free eye tests
Free bus passes

Unless you’re a communist, how can you think another blanket benefit makes any sense at all ?

Would you back universal free school meals ?

Well that’s a personal choice they’ve made, if you’re working you have a responsibility to plan for your financial future, the state can’t fund everyone.

My grandma, who owns multiple properties and has over a million in the bank got the winter fuel payment last year. Madness.

Well, at least Rachel Reeves doesn't have to worry about paying her fuel bills. She just gets the UK taxpayers to pick up the tab to the tune of £3700. She's alright Jack.

According to Labour a pensioner on a gross income of £12,000 is now wealthy.

Well if 1K a month is wealthy for a pensioner, I reckon that should be wealthy for a person of working age too. No benefit top-ups for any reason if you earn over this amount.

Fair’s fair, right?

After all, “We can't just give out millions of pounds to loads of people.”

@Changingplace

"Well that’s a personal choice they’ve made, if you’re working you have a responsibility to plan for your financial future, the state can’t fund everyone."

People working minimum wage jobs are not going to have built up massive work place pensions.

If people did not work in minimum wage jobs society would not function

How can you say it's their own fault? That's ridiculous

They’re putting 20% VAT on my DCs school. No doubt some on here outraged about the heating cash were squealing with glee when that was announced. At the time I said it was just the beginning so people shouldn’t be so smug.

I also don’t get child benefit. Due to fiscal drag, large chunks of my earnings disappear to the tax man.

Despite DH and I being net contributors, I can’t get one of my DCs an assessment for SEN because waiting list too high.

I think I’ve paid my fair share, now it’s someone else’s turn to contribute to filling the massive hole in our economy.

Why Starmer and Reeves don’t just tell the country that the easiest way to boost our economy is to rejoin the single market, I don’t know. Maybe they are hoping we’re squeezed so much that everyone including pensioners will beg them to reset our relationship with Europe, our biggest trading partner.

I do think the threshold should be higher, but it is ridiculous that the winter fuel allowance goes to so many people who do not need it and so think it should be means tested.

Personally, I would rather the amount was doubled so that the people who do need it get more, and those with sufficient incomes get nothing

I do, also, think that no tory or tory voter, given how the conservates fucked everyone over the last 14 years bar their rich mates, gets to take the moral high ground on this.

My tory MP, who happily voted against giving poor kids free school meals and did the sum total of fuck all to help in his constituency when we had a 10 day power cut now seems super concerned about a few cold pensioners. He can absolutely go fuck himself.

Even on a minimum wage job there’s a contribution from an employer and over a working life the ability to pay into a pension to cover a similar standard of life with the addition of a state pension.