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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To have little sympathy for the two people on GMTV this morning ..............................

94 replies

mosschops30 · 07/01/2009 10:28

One was about the heating, guy maybe in his 60's saying he couldnt afford to put his heating on and that he went to bed in the afternoon to keep warm.
All this whilst his enormous plasma tv was on in the background and he gave his interview in front of his PC again with flat screen monitor (something I dont have )

Then woman on with Martin Lewis moaning about not being able to re-mortgage because she had too much credit card debt. Then goes on to say how when she sees something she wants she just goes and buys at and thinks its acceptable to have no less than 6 holidays a year!!!! WTF

Im sorry but its a joke, I'd love 6 holidays a year, but the truth is that mastercard would have to pay for them and I wouldnt be able to pay them back. Thats why I have one!

In stark contrast they showed single parent freezing her ass off in a flat with no central heating sleeping in bed with her 2 kids to keep warm!

OP posts:

blueshoes · 07/01/2009 11:48

Why does Fiona have to answer her own questions? Are her interviewees so crap?

Gateau · 07/01/2009 11:53

It's nothing to do with the interviewees. SHe makes them feel awkward.
To give you an example of her crapness:
Someone's son has died in tragic circumstances - and Fiona asks: "So I guess you're feeling very upset then?"

Gateau · 07/01/2009 11:54

Or something along thos elines. I can't remember the details of the interview.

blueshoes · 07/01/2009 11:57

ComeWhineWithMe · 07/01/2009 11:58

I don't think families who are on wtc get the payment its people on JSA and income support .

Did anyone ever see Fiona announce a journalists pregannacy live on air??
She was dong a live link from a pub and had to take a pretend sip of beer so Fiona wades in and says oh you shouldn't be drinking that in your condition!!!!
The poor womans face said it all she was only about two months and by the sounds of it hadn't told many people .

She was also evil to Duffy when she had her first single probbaly thimking she was a one hit wonder !

Rindercella · 07/01/2009 13:45

Hardly ever watch GMTV, can't abide it but I did see Fiona Phillips interview a new mother, think it was Myleene Klass (sp?). MK's baby must've been about 3 months at the time and she said something about watching a programme in the evening with her baby. FP was like "what are you doing keeping that poor baby up like that??! She needs to be in bed". Really told her off, and probably made her feel utter shite. This was in my pre-mn days, but I still thought "what the feck has it got to do with you". Whatever your thoughts on MK, I still think that was a shitty thing to do to a new mother.

Clarissimo · 07/01/2009 13:46

the cold weather payments go to other than just pensioners but they're being paid now to certain people for the first time in a decade- and if the temp in your area rises above ) for one day in seven it's not paid

So we won't see it (sn household), as despite being -11 last night it's been 1 today.

Smaller payments (a seventh of the weekly rate of £25?) triggered every day temps average below 0? Don't know.

Give Government their due the payment has risen (apparently) by 2/3, but until peple can access it that's a waste of time.

For us it would be a real help ; for people such as Riven potentially health saving for her dd.

Alambil · 07/01/2009 13:52

Income support receivers don't get it - or at least, I was told I wasn't allowed it because I'm "only" on IS.

I think it's outrageous; my great uncle has a house here but lives in France - he receives the heating allowance (for his house that he doesn't use) and spends it abroad on holidays!!

poshwellies · 07/01/2009 14:00

I agree Lewis-surely families struggling on the breadline need help with heating too (more so-as you have more outgoings-food,clothes,heating bigger properties/more bedrooms),it's clearly outrageous.

MilaMae · 07/01/2009 14:02

I think the winter fuel allowance should be means tested. My parents are getting it,no mortgage,big house(which they heat to boiling) very comfortable. Dp and I have huge mortgage(which has now gone up),one salary and 3 dc to clothe,feed and keep warm.

£250 would mean a lot to us, to a lot of pensioners(many of which have no mortgage and very nice pensions the like of which none of us will ever see)it's peanuts. I'd rather the poorer pensioners had double, the richer none.The gov seem to be just throwing money way.

MillyR · 07/01/2009 14:09

I have a flat screen monitor, and I don't have central heating. I am not poor; I simply do not want central heating and I don't think it is necessary. I can see that the elderly sometimes can't afford to put on any heating at all and that is a disgrace and kills people. But why is central heating considered essential for a young family? We have a solid fuel/wood burner in the sitting room and when my kids go into other rooms to play they just wear a thick jumper. I suspect central heating is one of the reasons why so many children are overweight.

Moondancer · 07/01/2009 14:09

I also think the winter fuel allowance should be paid in vouchers or directly to the fuel providers. I cannot understand why this allowance is paid in cash just before christmas (when it is more likely to be spent on xmas presents rather than for what it is intended).

Clarissimo · 07/01/2009 14:11

the payment date depends on which allowance- january for the extraordinary payment this year; cold weather payments (as I said literally once a decade) as they ar qualified by temp.

Moondancer · 07/01/2009 14:13

I am referring to the big payments which are paid in December.

Clarissimo · 07/01/2009 14:16

thats not available to the disabled etc

I would be grateful for vouchers btw, mine will go straight to NPower on receipt this month. We use more heating as we are somewhat housebound by the SN (need 2 adults to go out)

The cold weather payments go to people getting:

a pensioner premium, higher pensioner premium or enhanced pensioner premium
a disability premium or severe disability premium
a disabled child premium
Child Tax Credit that includes an individual element for a child or qualifying young person who is disabled or severely disabled

(copied from Gov website)

Penthesileia · 07/01/2009 14:18

Trouble is, if they made the WFA means tested, a lot of pensioners who need it, wouldn't apply for it. It's better to give to all, than allow some to slip through the net.

If you look at the government's website, you'll see that loads of pensioners don't apply for the benefits, etc., to which they are entitled. Millions go unclaimed.

There's no point feeling envious or irritated that some pensioners get it and don't need it when you feel that you do; we should instead campaign for WFA to be given to other needy groups. That's the scandal.

wannaBe · 07/01/2009 14:19

I have no sympathy for anyone who has too much credit card debt because they have six holidays a year.

I was also somewhat at the newspaper artacle at the weekend about a single mother who spent her last fiver on a scratch card and won £1m. So she got lucky, but what if she hadn't - she couldn't afford food and she bought a f*'ing scratchcard. priorities.

As an aside why has fiona Philips left?

poshwellies · 07/01/2009 14:20

I would presume that obesity is down to what kids put in their mouths and lack of exercise not on whether people have central heating.

FAQtothefuture · 07/01/2009 14:21

"I suspect central heating is one of the reasons why so many children are overweight. "

That must be on of the most bizarre statements I've ever read on MN . How on earth do you work that one out???

wannaBe · 07/01/2009 14:22

maybe because shivering uses energy which in turn burns calories which would not have been burned if the child wasn't freezing?

MillyR · 07/01/2009 14:23

poshwellies, yes of course those are the main factors! But if you are almost constantly in a warm environment you don't burn any calories keeping warm; keeping warm is what the Northern European metabolism has been doing for centuries

Clarissimo · 07/01/2009 14:24

'So she got lucky, but what if she hadn't '

yopu'd never have known and she'd have carried on doing as she did every week?

disclaimer: never but scratchcards meself!

Oh she had just put a load f cash on her elctricity card so she had budgeed- thays why she was in the shop.

poshwellies · 07/01/2009 14:24

FAQ,Maybe we should send obese children out in the freezing temperatures and make them burn off excess weight by exercising to keep warm!

FAQtothefuture · 07/01/2009 14:24

PMSL Wannabe - bugger it's not working for me.

oh maybe that's because I have central heating (though still shivering )

Iklboo · 07/01/2009 14:24

Sad to see an old dear in Tesco with a bag full of own brand stuff saying she couldn't afford to eat better and she couldn't heat her house - then she bought 400 fags and 20 lottery tickets (my only pleasure)

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