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.

35k too high for pensioners but if you put 100k into advanced search you would find Mners saying that the latter is chump change

I refer to the £35k, as that is where the threshold has been set.

Ignoring the blatant ageism on this thread which is beyond disgusting, I completely agree the U turn is wrong on every level, but if you voted Labour, this is what you signed up for. A load of clueless spineless amateurs.

You are forgetting about differing outgoings at different stages in your life.

Pensioner on £32k no NI etc = £2,543 a month.
No housing costs or childcare.

Worker on £100k w/ student loan = £4,927.
But potentially has a £2k childcare bill and a £2k mortgage.

These scenarios and so incomes are quite different.

Rubbish! What people say is 100k with childcare costs, a mortgage, commuting costs isn’t millionaires row- these aren’t costs pensioners incur!

Its not new money though is it? its just money they were spending previously... didn't for just one winter but now will spend less than previous years.

They'll still be saving money over previous winters.

Pensioners rarely vote Labour, so its not a bribe, removal of the WFA was just stupid and cruel but the threshold of 35k is way too high, what are they on??

Around 20k would be far more reasonable.

Thank you. So many people here not recognising the different expenditure that comes with different stages in life.

35k isnt much money but then Im in London, it certainly is very average here but then I know its different across the country. So its subjective, I guess. I dont know any pensioner who is on a 35k per annum pension though. Even combined with work and state.

If you haven't got a mortgage (which most elderly people don't) or qualify for your rent being subsided, then I totally agree £35k is far too high.

DH took early retirement for his own well being and I have two tiny part-time jobs, our income is approx £24k per annum. On that we pay all our bills, eat properly plus eat out 2-3x a month, have coffee out 2x a month, the odd drink out, drink more than we should, have 3-4 2-4 day breaks a year (prefer that to a whole week), buy clothes, presents, buy things for improvements in the house etc. We really don't expect or need our energy bills to be subsided.

I don’t begrudge them a couple of hundred pounds once a year. It’s a drop in the ocean. There are pensioners out there still paying mortgages or rent and commuting costs as despite being of pensionable age they aren’t retired.

100% this. With the huge increase in housing costs, childcare cost and commuting costs large salaries can be easily swallowed up.
This threshold is far too high.

?? What’s the Christmas £10 bonus ?

I’ve never heard about that.

Then there's no reason for us to spend £1.25bn on it.

If it's absolutely necessary then boost the state pension by that amount, but withdraw the tax breaks pensioners get - NI should be merged into income tax.

@godmum56 Yes, I did get the figure incorrect, thank you for the correction.
We all struggle financially when we have children and I had to work up to my due date and go back when they were 6 weeks old to make ends meet. Of course things get better for many of us as we get older, and for anyone struggling on £100,000 now think of how well off you will be when your mortgage is paid off, the children have flown the nest and you are 60 plus.

A pensioners younger partner has to claim UC because of the Pension Credit changes that came in six years ago. So UC is paid to a household with a pensioner in it if they have a younger partner below state pension age.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/money-matters/3479693-Changes-to-Pension-Credit

Agree the childcare years are very expensive but unless you keep having lots of kids you are out of those years relatively quickly. In the grand scale of things.

Absolutely! There are many more people in fuel poverty, people off the gas grid for a start pay vast amounts on oil, LPG and coal.

Not been increased for many, many years , probably needs to be about 200 plus to keep up with inflation.,

Once again the younger generation are playing at being victims.

I don’t know one wealthy boomer. They aren’t all rich

The perks of living in a corporate tax haven...

But what is it.
Some sort of MP bonus or something

So, according to you, no pensioner still has a mortgage or pays rent? Rents are pretty high in most areas and you don't stop paying just because you reach a certain age

Ireland has always been very good to their pensioners. My grandad received much the same in the 70s and 80s.

It's because they are at home all day and older people can't control their body temperatures as efficiently as others. I thought that was well known. Why did you think they were awarded it in the first place?

You don't need it if you're out all day do you?

Agree
It also suggests everyone working has a student loan and childcare costs !