To say the £35k winter fuel threshold is way too high!

[chocolateismyweakness4]

The threshold needed to be raised, but £35k?! I wish I earned that and I have a mortgage and commuting costs. It also doesn’t take into account savings (so they could have millions in the bank) or household income.

We all know it’s a bribe, but they still won’t get pensioners to vote for them.

No, it wouldn't, especially if selling their huge houses freed up money for them.
If you think reality is a wind up then so be it.

To buy an annuity of £24k you would need around £350k in your pension pot - or, £450k inc taking your tax free lump sum.

You'll want people to subside you.
You'll grow old one day and you might need all the subsidies. Then the young people of your time will say you're too rich to deserve subsidies and they will want you do die faster as possible to get whatever you have.

This is a question of priorities. The original threshold was too low, no we’re too far the other way and not taking into account savings.
We are (being told) that the economy is in a mess. Education is desperately crying out for a huge increase in funding. As is mental health services, the NHS, local councils and more.
We cannot afford to fund this.

If you want to redefine terms, you better do it properly, is it old boomers or young boomers or tall boomers or short boomers or exactly which boomers. If I say Gen Z are selfish (for example) and then when challenged say well when I say Gen Z the meaning has morphed into meaning people of about that age who are selfish, it just makes no sense. Either you mean boomers or you mean there are some entitled pensioners.

Yes! It is fair because it’s for the next generation to have the best chance of learning and becoming successful… and paying tax to pay for your care and pension!
Supporting the elderly who didn’t prepare for their old age despite all the opportunities and free schooling, child benefit, best nhs in history etc they had- does nothing for me long term.

@Koalafan do you not agree that sometimes, under our systems, there will be some people who receive a benefit that they don’t necessarily, on an individual basis, need, But that it is better to ensure that those who DO need it are caught and if that means some folk receive 300 that they could fund, it is worth it? I do. It’s like child benefit- I’m sure that not everyone getting it NEEDS it but it’s good that those who do are caught. From your posts, I am certain of your reply. But I really can’t help but wonder why you sound so bitter about a measly 300. For what it’s worth, I am a so called boomer never had kids so worked since I was 16 and still do. I will not have a wealth laden retirement. I resent you putting me in a box of your interpretation of a group of people who happened to be born when they did.

I agree, the threshold should be lower. My parents will get it and have 500k savings and a 400k house with mortgage. Meanwhile I'll have to find an extra £200 or whatever a month this winter when bills inevitably rise again.

Pensioners who are struggling to make ends meet should absolutely get the payment. But I also think other people on very low incomes should get it, especially anyone with young babies and people who are medically vulnerable.

Rich pensioners should not get it just because the government are trying to buy back votes.

I get sick of the government pandering to older voters. There are pensioners who struggle, but it's just fact that older people have far more wealth than younger people overall.

So if you are not on a wind up, what is it you see every day that qualifies you to make all the sweeping statements you have made about Boomers?

Right, so your tax free lump sum is 25%. Where would you be able to buy a flat outright for £112k?

The state pension is not a modern concept. Most boomers have been working for 40+ yrs and contributing towards the state pensions paid to others. What is a burden is the growing number of people who choose not to work and live on benefits. Maybe aim your vitriol at them, and not those who’ve spent their working life contributing.

If you are a SAHM I’d keep quiet.

I’m on the cusp of boomer/gen x and have a good pension so we will not qualify for the heating payment. Instead we have invested in energy saving appliances, double glazing and insulation, forgoing foreign holidays for a couple of years to fund it so we don’t burden the future generations. Like most of our generation we were brought up without the influence of instant gratification and learned to save up before buying what we needed.

And the same people who don’t want the £35k threshold for pensioners are probably the same people who think it’s okay to be earning hundreds of thousands of pounds, yet still be entitled to receive PIP. Because that’s the reality. Seems pretty petty to be focusing on a £35k threshold when we have people claiming they need to be receipt of PIP, when potentially millionaires….

We have an income <just> less than that - quite happy.

But we have yet to learn of the detail. DH & me have quite a lot in savings as sold businesses & houses. Wondering if interest from savings will count as income.

Wondering if interest from savings will count as income.

It will.

You can say the same about young people. They should chose careers and jobs with good salaries and perks before being old. They have their youth and internet to search what they must do to have a nice life after retirement.

Lots on NW coast. Our youngest is looking atm, some nice 2 beds from around £85/90 K. £110 will secure a 3 bed and lots of houses.

Not sure child benefit was around for boomers, we certainly didn't get any, the NHS was just starting and was very basic, schools were over crowded because of the boomers and there was post war hardship all round.

Surprised about the savings thing. Thought they wanted to avoid that.

Most people don’t live on the NW coast, do they?

A discussion on this subject is just starting on LBC, but already in his introduction the presenter has his facts wrong.

True the limit is per person so an income of £68,000 qualifies.
False. That WFP is paid per household. It's paid inexplicably twice over. So to each person, even though there is only one bill.

Income from savings is income and will add into the £35k limit.

Young people are always being told to move to the other end of the country to buy a house, I’m sure pensioners can manage it too.

But - doesn’t address the point of it being unlikely you’d have built a pension pot of this size while not managing to buy a house at any point during your working life.

Unfortunately many pensioners are still paying rent/ mortgage.

100% agree. The reality is that a lot of the ‘boomers’ didn’t take two holidays a year, didn’t have two cars, didn’t have a four bedroomed new build, didn’t send their kids to private schools and dozens of expensive afterschool clubs, because they, you know, saved their money and started off small. Now, people don’t want to build up their expensive lifestyles gradually, they want it right from when the ink is still wet on their marriage certificate. Now that’s what I call self entitlement. And I’m not in the so called boomer category, but know many who are.

@Allseeingallknowing if you are employed, hmrc get info from banks on your interest on savings, tax it, and taken through your employer from your usual monthly salary as extra tax.