To resent the U-turn on winter fuel allowance?

[BlueEyedStarling]

Perhaps I'm existing in a bubble, but all of the pensioners I know, are pretty well off, or comfortable, at least. I live and have older family in the South East, but my dad and his elderly partner, live in the North. Literally, all of them say they dont need the WFA, but happily accept it regardless and shouted from the rooftops when it was taken away from them. Just how long can the working age population keep paying for this increasing, triple-lock section of society who are, as a whole, the wealthiest amongst us? Personally, we fell through the gaps of being able to receive any child benefit (only just!), but have always been willing to accept that we didn't need it and therefore shouldn't have it. Is it that our middle-aged generation just dont shout as loudly about things that affect us? I do want to add that I am very aware that there are many pensioners who should be in receipt of the WFA and that the cut off was too low. Also, that our pensioners fair pretty badly in comparison to much of Europe. It seems criminal that it can't be means tested to benefit those who really do need it.

I think 35k is too high but you are wrong to say we should all be at peak wealth at 60. My husband was disabled at 40 when I was pregnant. I've been his carer and brought up our children while working. My career was affected and he never worked again. I stopped contributing to my pension as we needed the money to survive and keep the house. So no we weren't at a peak at 60.

Hopeless for taking it away, hopeless for adjusting it. There’s literally nothing she could do to please some people.

So I had a mortgage, I paid off my mortgage even though I was using a credit card for other things. My mortgage was still paid off. If the gov borrowed money to spend that didn't alter the fact that our taxes were paying the loans. If they weren't the loans would have defaulted.

It was a complete lack of common sense to remove it from so many people. She should have used her brain to realise the stupidity of it. But the damage was done. Now she's basically giving it back to most of them, whether they need it or not because she's set the threshold far too high! But it won't "cure" the damage done to the Party. The damage was basically all for nothing. She's utterly hopeless.

Yes, totally agree. Instead of admitting their mistake, Reeves is making herself look even worse by pretending that they can only raise the threshold because the economy has improved. The new version will probably cost more than it saves. Let's not let Starmer off the hook, he's just as guilty as Reeves.

Where is she going to make cuts / it’s going to have to be benefits - why don’t people realise our tax income does not cover our outgoings - interest payments, nhs ,education, armed forces -there isn’t enough money or are we just goi g to continue loading debt of millions onto future generations.

People just don’t get it -this WFA is a flea bite in our total debt bill but all this hand wringing and gnashing of teeth.

God what a mess

I’d have thought the two of you would be delighted, given how much you detest this government. Surely the more it fucks up the better?

35k is too high, a lot of working households have less income than that and have to fund morgages/rent and childcare out if it as well.

Should have been more like 20k

I think £20k would be too high as well. £15k would have worked.

Agreed

The two of you??

Why would I be delighted with an incompetent PM and Chancellor?

Because it means you and Badbadbunny would see the end of the Labour government you detest.

Not for four years. I very much doubt that this version of labour are what you voted for either if you were being honest. This WFA mess is totally self inflicted and unnecessary.
Even the u turn is a mess.

I agree that it’s a mess. The threshold was too low to start with and now it’s too high. In all honesty I’m disappointed in this government so far and I really want to see it do better, not least because I want it to get another term. The thought of the alternative makes me feel physically sick.

Child benefit is paid up to a massively higher income than winter fuel payment. Even higher for free childcare. The pension credit cut off is brutal and causes millions of pensioners to suffer in cold homes and end up dead or in the NHS.

There’s already a thread about this.🙄

People with children likely have mortgage and rent though, and childcare isn’t ‘free’, it’s a certain number of free hours spread across 52 weeks, so I understand there are still high costs even with the free element.

I don’t have kids but I don’t resent these things for parents as having kids is bloody expensive and we will be screwed if there are no children being born. I know parents on average incomes who are crippled by childcare fees, they can be higher than a mortgage.

Then today, for once, we agree! (Although not about Labour serving another term).

Let us not forget how much these filthy rich boomers will contribute to society when much of their hard earned fortunes are taxed at 40% upon death.

Home care for pensioners is even more expensive than childcare! And many pay rent or big service charge fees. Being old is expensive too! We should be looking after both young and old - not picking sides!

The hardened earned I’ve got no issue with.

The compounded interest, the unearned income. That all needs to go in tax all of it

We certainly need unearned income to be taxed at least the same as wages, ie extend nic to ALL incomes not just wages. It’s insane that workers pay more than those on other income sources.

Interest on savings is taxed

Workers have savings too. I can just imagine the absolute uproar if it was suggested people pay NI on the interest on their savings - and it wouldn’t all come from pensioners.