An extra hubdred for OAPS?

[RaggedRocks]

The government wants us to keep cash at home for emergencies. Many pensioners are struggling to pay their bills and don't have a spare 100 quid.

AIBU to think that they should add an extra hundred onto the WFA in the budget, so oldies can have some spare cash to keep for the coming emergency. Also consider an extra hundred for UC recipients.

Perhaps more taxpayer funded payments should be means-tested and also contribution-based. It actually irks me that a pensioner who has not contributed enough for full state pension can claim PC to top up to full pension level, but that also unlocks further subsidies not available to other pensioners.

Ok so let's make the £100 available for pensioners who paid the most in then. That won't be the poorest ones though...

Children's parents vote.

Yes, I'm technically in fuel poverty. Large house with large bills and an income of around £8k pa. That's because my money is invested for growth not income, for now, and I made a planned decision to live off savings for a while. I'm not poor.

Many pensioners will be in a similar situation. Large assets with relatively low income.

No, even as a pensioner, I don’t think anyone should be given £100 to put away at home.

Taxes are high enough without more freebies hurled out there.

We all need to work out what we think what we need to do, and just do it, or don’t. 🤷‍♀️

How can it be both means tested and contribution based? Those with the least means are also likely to be the ones who contributed least.

Did you not get the means-tested bit?

This doesn't make sense. If the pensioner is entitled to Pension Credit then mean testing them for WFA will be redundant as they will already be under the threshold and entitled to it.

I didn't really because those two things are incompatible.

You think? What about those who have a small occupational pension which takes them just over the limit for extra help? Could be just a couple of quid over.
Then those who have never worked/no private pension get everything buckshee.
How is that fair?
Theres an awful lot of pensioner bashing on MN, with some folk thinking they must all be minted. Let me tell you, they are not 😬

I think they want to stop throwing money at the younger generations because they are not working.

Half term rage bait surely 😅

And that is not means testing. They get the payment and it’s absorbed via taxes at a later date.

The WFA eligibility threshold for pensioners is generous. There are working families who don't earn that much.

A situation where electronic systems don't work, so you can buy essentials with cash, something many older people will be familiar with anyway. The ones who will struggle in such a situation are those who never handle cash, can't calculate what their change might be in a cash transaction etc etc

Yes, but giving pensioners an extra £100 to deal with situation won't help anyone. Those who would keep it safely will already be doing so.

So long as we also stop the narrative that EVERYONE over pension age is rolling it. Just like every other age group, there are the wealthy people and there are struggling people, and (possibly) a majority that's just getting by.

The difference lies in the fact that most able adults under pension age can get work and earn as much as they are able. Most pensioners can't. Even if they are lucky enough not to have succumbed to the types of health issues that age often brings, just trying getting a job at 60+.

I'm a recent pensioner but haven't worked since my late 50s because I rarely made it to interview stage, never mind actually get a job offer, despite vast experience and up-to-date qualifications in the field. My pension savings, not massive in the first place, were decimated just supporting myself in the years until state pension kicked in, and now have very little left of my savings. I know I'm not unique in this position, and of all my friends of a similar age only a couple seem to fit the bill of "rolling in it".

How about we just stop stereotyping and instead focus on the options we all have?

13 quid an hour minimum wage from tomorrow. If I could get 10 hours a week job, that's 130 quid a week, less 20 per cent; Still over 100 quid a week. Very tempting.

There's no magic money tree to shake for anyone.

Do it if it appeals. LA can't fill crossing patrol and mid day assistant roles.

What do you mean, where ?! I am a pensioner ( although not in my head🤣) and I can assure you I’m perfectly capable of having a good night out !

Exactly. All that will happen is the government will need to spend billions delivering essential supplies to the elderly.

So why pay them an extra £100 each now?

Lollipop lady?

Go on then.

That would be £1.4bn

Tbh I’m sick of pensioners claiming poverty when they - on average - have more stability and wealth than any generation after them. My mum and dad retired at 60, mortgage paid off by 40. Pipe dreams to me even though I’m in a really good job. And earn more than they ever did comparatively