Scotish Government reinstates winter fuel payments

Interesting.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has confirmed that on the roll-out of the new benefit next winter, pensioners in receipt of a relevant qualifying benefit, such as Pension Credit will be receiving Pension Age Winter Heating Payments of £300 or £200, depending on their age. Meanwhile all other pensioner households will receive £100 from next winter, providing them with support not available anywhere else in the UK
www.gov.scot/news/support-for-pensioners-with-energy-costs/#:~:text=Social%20Justice%20Secretary%20Shirley%2DAnne,200%2C%20depending%20on%20their%20age.

The average winter temperature in Scotland is lower than in London and MPs do get a heating allowance so don't know what it's like to be worried about putting the heating on.

That will be handy. It's not risen above freezing today and last week was freezing all week.

Not a reinstatement - they are staying with an income related benefit.

Already mentioned
www.gransnet.com/forums/news_and_politics/1342852-WFP-in-Scotland

We’ve had -1°, -2° -0°, 1° 2° and a heatwave of 7° or, one occasion it was suddenly 13° late at night, so we’ve had the heating on much of the November and we’re not in Scotland.
To remind me how much heating we’re using, EDF have just sent me a reminder that they’re putting my monthly payment up by £19.48 pm.

Wonder how much the tax will go up in the forthcoming Scottish budget. Give out the softener before announcing any increases perhaps.

sandelf

Not a reinstatement - they are staying with an income related benefit.

It says that, but also adds that every pensioner’s household will get £100, from 2025

My burning question is, why didn't they first remove the £3500/year MPs can claim? Hitting pensioners who've mostly worked extremely hard all their lives, British pensions are a pittance anyway, is the most disgusting thing they could've thought of. We know the country's on its knees financially but they're overpaid anyway in terms of expenses! Rachel Reeves I'm talking to you!

You get a heating allowance we get assisted dying.
Only joking!

I feel so upset to think of frail elderly people sat at home in the cold, people who have worked all their lives on a low wage with no resources. Why keep sending money abroad and have immigrants here, we should look after the ill, elderly and vulnerable in our society. The government would do well to remember people are judged by how you treat the needy in our society, they sit in their warm homes and offices, on a decent wage plus generous expenses and prefer not to think about it.

Devolved government enables the SNP to bribe pensioner voters!

The SNP could pay my entire energy bill over winter and I still wouldn’t vote for them or independence. Scotland would be so much worse off as a stand alone nation IMO

I totally agree with Allsorts!

Grantanow

Devolved government enables the SNP to bribe pensioner voters!

You think every Scot will be seduced by that? Think again!.

It’s only going to be £100 WFA from Winter 2025 but better than nothing.

4allweknow

Wonder how much the tax will go up in the forthcoming Scottish budget. Give out the softener before announcing any increases perhaps.

That works better than starting off by announcing how much you are taking away.

Cateq hear hear! Mind you the bikes and laptops promised to young voters last time didn't materialise so I'm not holding my breath.

Jens

My burning question is, why didn't they first remove the £3500/year MPs can claim? Hitting pensioners who've mostly worked extremely hard all their lives, British pensions are a pittance anyway, is the most disgusting thing they could've thought of. We know the country's on its knees financially but they're overpaid anyway in terms of expenses! Rachel Reeves I'm talking to you!

I do so agree with you Jens. Not much seems to have been made of this in the media. MPs should be setting an example.

There's also an election next year! Call me cynical....

FriedGreenTomatoes2

You get a heating allowance we get assisted dying.
Only joking!

It’s not a joke though, really. A good point to make.

Allsorts

I feel so upset to think of frail elderly people sat at home in the cold, people who have worked all their lives on a low wage with no resources. Why keep sending money abroad and have immigrants here, we should look after the ill, elderly and vulnerable in our society. The government would do well to remember people are judged by how you treat the needy in our society, they sit in their warm homes and offices, on a decent wage plus generous expenses and prefer not to think about it.

Why keep sending money abroad and have immigrants here, we should look after the ill, elderly and vulnerable in our society.

It wouldn't make a scrap of difference if those immigrants all suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

An economy that is based on the free-market and small-state would not be handing over any money 'saved' from those disappearing immigrants to the poor and needy.

Do you understand what small-state means? It means spending as little as is possible on all public services as a matter of principle.

Dickens

Allsorts

I feel so upset to think of frail elderly people sat at home in the cold, people who have worked all their lives on a low wage with no resources. Why keep sending money abroad and have immigrants here, we should look after the ill, elderly and vulnerable in our society. The government would do well to remember people are judged by how you treat the needy in our society, they sit in their warm homes and offices, on a decent wage plus generous expenses and prefer not to think about it.

Why keep sending money abroad and have immigrants here, we should look after the ill, elderly and vulnerable in our society.

It wouldn't make a scrap of difference if those immigrants all suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

An economy that is based on the free-market and small-state would not be handing over any money 'saved' from those disappearing immigrants to the poor and needy.

Do you understand what small-state means? It means spending as little as is possible on all public services as a matter of principle.

I think the 6.4 billion, overspend on illegal immigration in 2024 to 2025, Home Office, would make a big difference to our welfare state, maybe spend it on people who have lived and worked in our country all their lives, and now living on a pittance, or freezing.

Freya5

Dickens

Allsorts

I feel so upset to think of frail elderly people sat at home in the cold, people who have worked all their lives on a low wage with no resources. Why keep sending money abroad and have immigrants here, we should look after the ill, elderly and vulnerable in our society. The government would do well to remember people are judged by how you treat the needy in our society, they sit in their warm homes and offices, on a decent wage plus generous expenses and prefer not to think about it.

Why keep sending money abroad and have immigrants here, we should look after the ill, elderly and vulnerable in our society.

It wouldn't make a scrap of difference if those immigrants all suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

An economy that is based on the free-market and small-state would not be handing over any money 'saved' from those disappearing immigrants to the poor and needy.

Do you understand what small-state means? It means spending as little as is possible on all public services as a matter of principle.

I think the 6.4 billion, overspend on illegal immigration in 2024 to 2025, Home Office, would make a big difference to our welfare state, maybe spend it on people who have lived and worked in our country all their lives, and now living on a pittance, or freezing.

I think the 6.4 billion, overspend on illegal immigration in 2024 to 2025, Home Office, would make a big difference to our welfare state,

... yes, it definitely would.

The point I was trying to make though, is that it wouldn't be spent on the welfare state.

The previous government to a large extent and this one to some extent, are committed to reducing the welfare bill (hence cutting the WFA).

That's what small-state means.

We have a terrible welfare state. I lived in France for a few months in the past (about 25 years ago). They had an excellent welfare state at that time. No homelessness, no poverty. If someone lost their job they were entitled to a decent income from unemployment benefit until they found another job - someone explained this to me. That they understand someone loses their job sometimes and support them, without question, until they're back on their feet again and found another one. They paid 50% income tax but all had very good salaries and a good standard of living, so could afford it. But even then, tax payers said why should they pay 50% tax to house immigrants comfortably. France had a lot of immigrants then - mainly from Algeria. To me it seemed the right thing - wages were high, no one was in real poverty. They also supported artists - all art galleries were free and there were at least two in every town - a traditional one and a modern one. And artists were paid to create art and were also supported by patrons.

I thought it was a wonderful system - I'm not sure what it's like now as it was still a socialist government back then.

Ah the rosy telescope of time!