Winter fuel payment petition

[Big Ears]

Please sign, we're not all wealthy and some I know will really struggle without it.

Campaigns | Age UK

campaigns.ageuk.org.uk

 

[Robf]

I thought it was being means tested so that it is focused on those struggling, rather than those sitting in their mansions?

 

[Big Ears]

I'm afraid not, we lost it when they announced it as did thousands of others, You can be a pound out and lose it as you can many other things.

 

[Robf]

Mmmmmm

Eligibility​

You can get a Winter Fuel Payment for Winter 2024 to 2025 if you were born before 23 September 1958.
You must also live in England or Wales and get one of the following:

• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support

If you live in Scotland, you might get an annual Pension Age Winter Heating Payment instead.
In some circumstances, you might be eligible if you live abroad.

 

[Big Ears]

Most folk do not get any of those though Rob, and that's why they did it that way.

Did you sign it?

 

[Robf]

But thats the point, it now goes to those that need it. I would rather the rest went to the NHS, improving social services (eldery care) etc. I know retirees sitting on the beaches of Cyprus who get the payment?

 

[Big Ears]

So you didn't sign it, that's fine Rob, but I'm not into politics further than someone controlling what I do with my money, but signing it does affect others so if it's within you then please do, we control the government not the other way round. as for the NHS they all want rid of it, and I'd rather someone sitting on a nice warm beach (very few) got a few bob than some poor bugger in a cold house/flat (very many) couldn't keep the heating on.

 

[Robf]

I understand your sentiments, and am probably more socialist due to my background than most. I totally agree with targeting the money to those who are in a very cold house with no heating (believe me I have experienced it) than those like Sir John Redwood et al.

 

[maskull]

The savings from stopping this payment will not save the NHS and may even cost the NHS more due to increased hospital admissions of elderly folk suffering the effects of inadequate heating , It will probably save the pension fund coffers due to a reduction of pensioners though

 

[Robf]

Payments are now going to those who need it, the very ones who will be affected by the cold.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Please sign, we're not all wealthy and some I know will really struggle without it.

Campaigns | Age UK

campaigns.ageuk.org.uk

Signed.

Won't do anything for me, but might help some other poor bugger.
Total cost to me of about 45 seconds.

"It's politics Jim, but not as we know it"
Will the post stay or will it go......
Klingons and all that.

No I have not been at the Vodka.......
AGAIN ?

 

[Big Ears]

Payments are now going to those who need it, the very ones who will be affected by the cold.

Well if you belive all that then there is nothing more to be said.

For me, it is important not to assume that those in need will be ok, they won't, I was on Pension credit due to low income, the Boss's very small private pension came in and took us over the limit by £6.34, so we lost the pension credit, try heating a house on £6.34, let me know how you get on, not to mention we now have to pay for all dental treatment, we now have to pay council tax.

Not a fair system in any way at all.

We fortunately own our own house so not rent or mortgage to pay now so it won't affect us too much, but it will affect the funds coming into the house for the amount they are not giving us, we also will not be able to decide how it is spent.

But I did sign it as it is a selfless act and bound to affect others who maybe don't know how or have the ability to vote for themselves.

I looked to see if there was a government petition.

Here you go Rob

 

[Robf]

Yep, As I said I am totally in agreement with the goverment targeting the benifit to those who need it most, and taking it away from those who don't ?

 

[Big Ears]

But they are taking it away from people who need it too Rob.

They are not just taking it away from those who don't.

You seem to be blind to that judging by your comments.

Sign it or not it's up to you, I bet you won't though sadly

 

[Robf]

No they are not, they are targeting it exactly at those who need it as per link above from gov. Its how the benefit system works?

 

[Bam Bam]

In general I'm not against means testing benefits, though there are some downsides:
1. People who are eligible might not claim because they don't know/understand the system or are just too proud (which doesn't apply to Universal beneifts).
2. The threshold (as noted above) is very low, so there will be people who are not at all well off who will get excluded.
3. There are higher admin costs for means tested benefits compared to Universal benefits, though these are sometimes overstated.

Overall, I think it is a tough call on this one. You've got a lot of pensioners who seem to be very well-off and who clearly don't need the help, but the means testing will exclude some needy pensioners as well.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

It is a tough one, when being means tested.
But as a simpleton myself I would be using total income as a marker and go from there.
If you have 30k or above coming in, surely you do not require a winter fuel payment.

Told you.
Simpleton.
Anyone got time to break that down?

 

[Bam Bam]

It is a tough one, when being means tested.
But as a simpleton myself I would be using total income as a marker and go from there.
If you have 30k or above coming in, surely you do not require a winter fuel payment.

Told you.
Simpleton.
Anyone got time to break that down?

The government are using Pension credit as the way to determine eligibility.

People can only get pension credit if they have no personal pensions and only have the state pension to rely on.

Someone on pension credit would get £11,343.80 per year, plus the winter fuel allowance (£200).

Someone who has a small private pension of £1,000 per year would get about £12500 per year in total but no fuel allowance.

The point is that there isn't much difference between these two. But how else does the government differentiate these pensioners from the millionaire pensioners?

I liked the suggestion to make the payment taxable, so that high earning pensioners at least have some clawed back by the government.

 

[Big Ears]

It's all semantics to those who don't get the payment and can't turn the heating on.

It's a no brainer, we won't get it anyway so my signing it is only to help others less fortunate.

 

[Gomev]

The government are using Pension credit as the way to determine eligibility.

People can only get pension credit if they have no personal pensions and only have the state pension to rely on.

Someone on pension credit would get £11,343.80 per year, plus the winter fuel allowance (£200).

Someone who has a small private pension of £1,000 per year would get about £12500 per year in total but no fuel allowance.

The point is that there isn't much difference between these two. But how else does the government differentiate these pensioners from the millionaire pensioners?

I liked the suggestion to make the payment taxable, so that high earning pensioners at least have some clawed back by the government.

indeed there is very little difference between the two.
Even if you don't have a private pension and just have the full state pension of £11,502 per year you do not necessarily qualify for Pension Credit.

The main difference is that Pension Credit is a Gateway credit. Once you have that it it opens up many other benefits which those not on it do not qualify for like reduced or free council tax, help with rent etc. Those just above the threshold can end up worse off than those under the threshold after Pension Credit and associated benefits are applied.

So here's to all those cocktail sipping multiple foreign holidays a year 'wealthy' pensioners luxuriating in their massive income of £11,502 per year.