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Post by thomas on Aug 8, 2024 8:04:58 GMT
Winter Fuel Payment update as petition for change to be axed hits new milestone
Winter Fuel Payments were previously available to everyone who is above state pension age in the UK – but now only those on means-tested benefits including Pension Credit will be eligible
A petition calling for Labour to axe their changes to the Winter Fuel Payment has reached more than 260,000 signatures.
Winter Fuel Payments were previously available to everyone who is above state pension age in the UK – but Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed the rules are changing in England and Wales so only those on means-tested benefits including Pension Credit will be eligible. Winter Fuel Payments are worth up to £300, depending on your living arrangements
But charities including Age UK have warned the decision means millions of pensioners may not be able to heat their homes this winter. A petition set up by Age UK is calling on the Government to reconsider the changes and has now reached more than 260,000 signatures.
The petition reads: “Cutting the Winter Fuel Payment this winter, with virtually no notice and no compensatory measures to protect poor and vulnerable pensioners, is the wrong policy decision. Millions of struggling pensioners won’t receive up to £300 they rely on to pay their bills.
“We believe as many as 2 million pensioners who find paying their energy bills a real stretch will be seriously hit by this cut: Those on low incomes who just miss out on Pension Credit, those with high energy needs because of disability or illness, the 800,000 who don’t receive the Pension Credit for which they are eligible.
www.mirror.co.uk/money/winter-fuel-payment-update-petition-33410873#
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Post by thomas on Aug 8, 2024 8:07:50 GMT
edit to add..........around 300 000 Scottish pensioners are due to be hit by labours axe of the winter fuel payment. As yet , while this benefit is set to be devolved , swinney has announced that labour have as yet not offered the funding , from central government , so as ever , its devolve responsibility for their shocking decision rather than devolve any real power .
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Post by Totheleft on Aug 8, 2024 21:06:47 GMT
Bit of bull crap in the last two sentences.
because of disability or illness, the 800,000 who don’t receive the Pension Credit for which they are eligible.
Them with disabilities or illness will still receive the wfp .
And the 800.000 who dosent receive pension credit won't miss out because they won't receive it .in the first place .
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Post by Pacifico on Aug 8, 2024 21:13:10 GMT
that is nonsense ttl - stop trying to whitewash Labours attack on poor people.
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Post by Bentley on Aug 8, 2024 21:20:15 GMT
It was a spiteful move that assumed any pensioner not on pension credit was well off and ignored the ones who are eligible for pension credit but do not receive it.
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Post by Totheleft on Aug 8, 2024 21:28:52 GMT
that is nonsense ttl - stop trying to whitewash Labours attack on poor people. Whoops hang on a minute wasnt me who said for ages state pension should be means tested so that the poorer pensioners could get a bigger slice of the Cake. And you poo.pooed the idea Now all the sudden you support the poor pensioners lol |
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Post by Totheleft on Aug 8, 2024 21:33:37 GMT
It was a spiteful move that assumed any pensioner not on pension credit was well off and ignored the ones who are eligible for pension credit but do not receive it. The 800 000 who are entitled to pension credit is rather a high number .rather socking maybe they didn't apply for it like my sister and her husband because they don't need it . |
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Post by Pacifico on Aug 8, 2024 21:52:49 GMT
that is nonsense ttl - stop trying to whitewash Labours attack on poor people. Whoops hang on a minute wasnt me who said for ages state pension should be means tested so that the poorer pensioners could get a bigger slice of the Cake. And you poo.pooed the idea Now all the sudden you support the poor pensioners lol So people who have paid in for decades for their pension should be stripped of it - that is Labours idea of righteousness? |
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Post by witchfinder on Aug 8, 2024 22:16:17 GMT
I live in a middle class area which is fairly affluent, along my road are many pensioners, and I guess most own their homes outright.
Yet only a short distance away is the council eastate where I was brought up, an estate where there are young, hard working families with children.
We have a situation in this country where younger, hard working families on low incomes, who cannot afford a mortgage, are paying the gas and electricity bills as tax payers, of pensioners who are much better off, and its not only absurd, its obscene.
The group which has the most disposable income in Britain today are pensioners
The group which has the least disposable income in Britain today are young working people with families
The last pension increase of around 1000.00 per year is far more than most working people got who work in the public sector.
I will always be in favour of helping the least well off in society, but the Winter Fuel Allowance is been handed to thousands of pensioners who are comfortable, well off and even wealthy, and its wrong.
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Post by sheepy on Aug 8, 2024 22:22:20 GMT
I live in a middle class area which is fairly affluent, along my road are many pensioners, and I guess most own their homes outright. Yet only a short distance away is the council eastate where I was brought up, an estate where there are young, hard working families with children. We have a situation in this country where younger, hard working families on low incomes, who cannot afford a mortgage, are paying the gas and electricity bills as tax payers, of pensioners who are much better off, and its not only absurd, its obscene. The group which has the most disposable income in Britain today are pensioners The group which has the least disposable income in Britain today are young working people with families The last pension increase of around 1000.00 per year is far more than most working people got who work in the public sector. I will always be in favour of helping the least well off in society, but the Winter Fuel Allowance is been handed to thousands of pensioners who are comfortable, well off and even wealthy, and its wrong. I wonder how many of those same pensioners also struggled to bring up families and thought in their old age the struggles they suffered would be less so. |
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Post by Totheleft on Aug 8, 2024 22:35:27 GMT
I live in a middle class area which is fairly affluent, along my road are many pensioners, and I guess most own their homes outright. Yet only a short distance away is the council eastate where I was brought up, an estate where there are young, hard working families with children. We have a situation in this country where younger, hard working families on low incomes, who cannot afford a mortgage, are paying the gas and electricity bills as tax payers, of pensioners who are much better off, and its not only absurd, its obscene. The group which has the most disposable income in Britain today are pensioners The group which has the least disposable income in Britain today are young working people with families The last pension increase of around 1000.00 per year is far more than most working people got who work in the public sector. I will always be in favour of helping the least well off in society, but the Winter Fuel Allowance is been handed to thousands of pensioners who are comfortable, well off and even wealthy, and its wrong. I wonder how many of those same pensioners also struggled to bring up families and thought in their old age the struggles they suffered would be less so. Would that also be pensioners who have one or two private pension and also a possible company pension Them that saved in tax saving accounts . |
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Post by Bentley on Aug 8, 2024 23:18:27 GMT
It was a spiteful move that assumed any pensioner not on pension credit was well off and ignored the ones who are eligible for pension credit but do not receive it. The 800 000 who are entitled to pension credit is rather a high number .rather socking maybe they didn't apply for it like my sister and her husband because they don't need it . Three is a pensioner that I know who misses out on pension credit by £20 and on3 8n the news that missed out by less . If the pensioners who were entitled to pension credit but didnt claim were millionaires then they wouldn’t be entitled in the first place …ffs. Thick as mince … |
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Post by Totheleft on Aug 8, 2024 23:22:41 GMT
The 800 000 who are entitled to pension credit is rather a high number .rather socking maybe they didn't apply for it like my sister and her husband because they don't need it . Three is a pensioner that I know who misses out on pension credit by £20 and on3 8n the news that missed out by less . If the pensioners who were entitled to pension credit but didnt claim were millionaires then they wouldn’t be entitled in the first place …ffs. Thick as mince … Of course they can Claim its not means tested numb nuts. Yes, millionaires can claim the full State Pension in the UK if they have paid 35 years of National Insurance contributions. Income doesn't affect State Pension entitlement, but it can affect other benefits like Housing Benefit, Pension Credit, and Council Tax Support. State Pension is also taxable, so adding it to earnings could move someone into a higher tax band. Age UK |
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Post by dodgydave on Aug 9, 2024 0:57:54 GMT
Pension credit is for people who didn't pay their full stamp, so Labour's cut of winter fuel payments IS NOT MEANS TESTED.
Plunging two million pensioners into fuel poverty is not Socialism, it is vindictive ideology.
The headlines over the winter are going to be shocking and shameful.
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Post by Pacifico on Aug 9, 2024 6:56:20 GMT
I live in a middle class area which is fairly affluent, along my road are many pensioners, and I guess most own their homes outright. Yet only a short distance away is the council eastate where I was brought up, an estate where there are young, hard working families with children. We have a situation in this country where younger, hard working families on low incomes, who cannot afford a mortgage, are paying the gas and electricity bills as tax payers, of pensioners who are much better off, and its not only absurd, its obscene. The group which has the most disposable income in Britain today are pensioners The group which has the least disposable income in Britain today are young working people with families The last pension increase of around 1000.00 per year is far more than most working people got who work in the public sector. I will always be in favour of helping the least well off in society, but the Winter Fuel Allowance is been handed to thousands of pensioners who are comfortable, well off and even wealthy, and its wrong. Meanwhile back in the real world.. More than 50 charities and organisations have now written to the Chancellor, warning that millions of elderly people face spending winter in cold and damp homes: “This has the potential to create a public health emergency.” they say. The National Pensioners Convention said it was “absolutely shocking” and Age UK said it was “certain to result in more older people experiencing a horrible ‘eating or heating’ dilemma”. |
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