Three in four pensioners are living in a cold home

As discussed upthread, it depends on the questions asked to get that result, and the survey doesn't reveal that.

Many old people are frightened of spending their savings because they are keeping them aside in case they need care, in case they have large bills for maintenance on their home, white goods replacement, boiler replacement, and often for funeral costs.

Some of the posts on here are surprisingly ignorant of how many people, often widowed, do have to live.
I'm astonished. Just because obviously well-heeled people who were in well-paid professions with excellent pensions and know no-one in their peer group who might be struggling does not mean there are not millions of people who are having to watch their pennies and eke out their pensions.

Actually, on reflection, no, I'm not astonished because it's obvious they would never mix with those types of people.

I am usual[y cold at home. I go to the library to get warm and take long walks. And I am not particularly hard up.

Wow - there appears to be a lot of affluent women - all with good incomes, and warm homes, who are full of advice for those unfortunate people who live in cold homes. Downsize, wear thermals, insulate, get new boilers, try and get grants ( not that easy) move more, get into debt as you would all keep your heating on regardless of income -all of which costs a lot of money.
It costs the same to heat a house, or cook a meal for one person, than it is for 2/3 or 4 people. But on a much smaller income.
I wonder if any of those judgmental woman would manage, for any such reason, if they had to survive on only the money THEY bring into the home, particularly with little or no savings. And a couple of pounds over the limit for governmental help. Then give your opinion .
I know very few single women - who often have medical or mobility issues - who have warm homes.
We all struggle on our own, a lot would have a rent rise (mine £100 a month) council tax rise ( mine £10 a month) etc, can’t afford the holidays you all seem to take.
We don’t need telling that you don’t know any ‘poor’ people. You should get out more.

ruthiek

My elderly friend told me she keeps her heating at 12 and if it’s cold turns it up to 14 because she is frightened of her bills , I hsve bought her an electric comforter . She is not entitled to pension credit because she saved but her state pension is small so she is careful , terrible state of affairs

How much has she saved and does she understand how savings are taken into account for the purpose of Pension Credit? It isn’t the whole amount. The first £10,000 is ignored. Every £500 over that counts as £1 of income. So if she has 20,000 in savings that would count as £20 a week of notional income.

Say she has basic State Pension of £169.50 a week and had savings of £20,000 that earn her say £15 a week interest giving her a total weekly income of £184.50. Then add that £20 notional income to total £204.50. She would be entitled to Pension Credit of £13.65 per week to bring her weekly income to £218.15 and would then be entitled to Winter Fuel Payment, Warm Home Discount and help with eye and dental care.

I have assumed she reached SP age before 6 April 2016 in which case she would also be entitled to Savings Credit of £17.01 per week.

She could also be entitled to Council Tax Benefit and also Housing Benefit if she rents. If she is entitled to Pension Credit, her savings would be ignored for the other benefits.

I refuse to be cold even though I worry about energy costs.

Starmer is responsible for this terrible situation.

The right wing Daily Express has never cared about welfare when the Tories were in office. I wonder why the sudden Volte -Face? The sheer disingenuity displayed by not making the sampling clear..and making it clear that it only refers to those with incomes under £20,000. I note too they make no suggestion of renationalising our energy, o r offering to cut their own dividends, or cutting salaries of CEOs. Suddenly it is the fault of the incoming government. I have been impressed with the drive to get pensioners to claim pension credit, and there has been massive uptake. Put the Express back in the toilet where it belongs.

Millie22

I refuse to be cold even though I worry about energy costs.

Starmer is responsible for this terrible situation.

No, frankly, its energy costs, which both parties have had to grapple with, due to international forces over the last 3 winters.
Judging by the posts here, WFA could not possibly compensate for this, tho yes, we should raise its availability level.

Millie22

I refuse to be cold even though I worry about energy costs.

Starmer is responsible for this terrible situation.

No he's not. The causes are far more complex than simply the removal of the Winter Fuel allowance.

Piskey
We all struggle on our own, a lot would have a rent rise (mine £100 a month) council tax rise
I meant to mention those in my post too.

Well said.
I'm not on my own but realise there will come a time when one of us will be left on our own; my income would suddenly drop certainly.

Millie22

I refuse to be cold even though I worry about energy costs.

Starmer is responsible for this terrible situation.

How?

I hope the Daily Express and others continue to monitor the situation.

I hope they can access all the data about pensioners, such as the death rates this year compared to last year. It is so important to know how this wicked withdrawal of the winter fuel payment affects the elderly. It should also be monitoring the disabled, because they don't get it either unless on means tested benefits.

I spent last winter - from Christmas 2023 to June 2024 without central heating or hot water and it was not easy. It gave me insight into how those living with a kettle and a couple of small heaters have to live. I have been on disability since 1992, disabled many years. I have a state pension of £800 a month £169 a week plus enhancements for leaving it in and paying a bit more in the past. Works out at about £203 a week, but I have a widow pension from my late husband, so don't qualify for benefits. Last year I had £600 because of my disabilities and including the cold weather payment. This year, without any warning - nothing. I took out equity in November and had another boiler installed in another part of the house and CCTV because my previous boiler was vandalised by someone who wanted me to leave my lovely home.

I stayed in bed most of the time. I put on more clothes at night than I took of. I could not shower or wash my hair. Imagine, six months not washing hair, just dry shampoo. I have to say that my hair was fine. You really wouldn't have known It was unwashed from Christmas to June. It was difficult to carry the kettle to the wet room to wash, so I drew the curtains and washed in the kitchen.

I am full of admiration for those pensioners who are suffering as I did last year. I hope the newspapers' research workers are compiling evidence of the suffering of the elderly, particularly those who survived the war, and those who started work in the 1950s when the 1948 NHS Act gave the impression that they didn't need to pay for a second pension, because the money was taken out of their wages to give them a pension when they retired.
Reeves must think that it is our fault that we didn't save for a pension but relied on the state pension. She was probably brought up on Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs and think we all live like the upper crust and don't need it.

The DWP know who is paying higher rate tax and could either claw it back from them or just not give the WFP to them, not take it away from everyone.

What goes around, comes around.

I work in fahrenheit. Am sitting on bed with covers over legs. Leaning against footboard. So light from window is behind me. Am not shivering. Get used to it.
48F currently. Yesterday was 43F
on waking and most of day. I wear gloves in bed and roll myself up in 2 sleeping bags plus blankets. 2 layers on legs plus sox. three layers on chest.
It's OK but having to get up for loo means can't wear fleecy onesie with hood and ears.
I do put heating on in evening
After 5 hours temp rose to 52F.

The Winter Fuel payment is only £200, so it might possibly pay for a couple of bills, but wouldn’t necessarily see you through the whole winter time.

Well said pomegranate juice.

ViceVersa

But happens if you do that and you're not dead when that rainy day does come?

That is just the point, when the rainy day came they still wouldn't spend it.

The level for savings that means you still qualify for pension credit is variable, the less your income, the more savings you can have, but the floor level is £10,000 but can be £20,000 or more. So most of my clients could have both made their lives more comfortable, qualified for Pension Credit and still had a reasonable amount in savings to deal with the rainy day..

Greciangirl

The Winter Fuel payment is only £200, so it might possibly pay for a couple of bills, but wouldn’t necessarily see you through the whole winter time.

In late 2022 and 2023, all pensioners received a WFP boosted by a cost of living payment to £500 (or £600 for those 80 and over) because of the energy crisis.

Also, all householders were given an additional £400 in six monthly instalments under the Energy Benefit Support Scheme paid over October 2022 to March 2023. Again it was to help with the energy crisis when the energy price cap rose to £4279. By July 2024 the cap had reduced to £1,568.

The WFP was always going to be back to £200 (or £300 for those 80 or over) in 2024.

Maybe some people didn’t realise this and had been budgeting for another £500/£600.

People on grid are more or less forced by energy suppliers to set their direct debits at an amount equal to one twelfth of the estimated annual useage so they should be building a credit over the warmer months towards the colder months. It seems a sensible thing to do to spread the cost.

I am one..use my halogen heater.

I am also 1

Silverbrooks

Greciangirl

The Winter Fuel payment is only £200, so it might possibly pay for a couple of bills, but wouldn’t necessarily see you through the whole winter time.

In late 2022 and 2023, all pensioners received a WFP boosted by a cost of living payment to £500 (or £600 for those 80 and over) because of the energy crisis.

Also, all householders were given an additional £400 in six monthly instalments under the Energy Benefit Support Scheme paid over October 2022 to March 2023. Again it was to help with the energy crisis when the energy price cap rose to £4279. By July 2024 the cap had reduced to £1,568.

The WFP was always going to be back to £200 (or £300 for those 80 or over) in 2024.

Maybe some people didn’t realise this and had been budgeting for another £500/£600.

People on grid are more or less forced by energy suppliers to set their direct debits at an amount equal to one twelfth of the estimated annual useage so they should be building a credit over the warmer months towards the colder months. It seems a sensible thing to do to spread the cost.

I think some posters expect all older or elderly people to be on the ball, fit and well able to find out about their rights and able to manage their (sometimes meagre) income.

The other aspect of this is the psychological impact that removing this allowance, with so little notice, has had on some elderly people who were relying on it. It was like a security blanket, knowing they could put the heating or fire on and the money was there in their bank account to pay the bill. That was suddenly snatched away

Witzend

Whitewavemark2

Witzend

I’d be interested to know where they get that 3 out of 4 figure from. How many pensioners did they actually ask?

It is wrong! I would waste any more time on it.

Admittedly I probably move largely in somewhat more comfortable circles, but I don’t know anyone among family or friends who’d fall onto the ‘cold through poverty’ bracket.

However I’ve known older people in the past who were too mean to have the heating on, or to have it on high enough, even though they could perfectly well afford it.

The Scrooge factor - I dare there’s still some of it about.

My auntie had a friend like that, it was said they were so mean they shared a boiled egg 🙄

I keep my house cold for fear of bills, and so do all my single women friends.

We all worked in the same sector - arts / charities, so have crap private pensions. We are all single so are having to bear all the household overheads on one person's pension.

I COULD spend more on heat now, but I am currently fit and active and can get out and about to keep warm by walking or going to the library. I want to be able to afford to heat my home to a good level all day once I am more frail.

Currently I have the heat on for two hours morning and evening, set to a max of 17'. I watch TV under a blanket and wear fingerless mittens to type / read.

I could afford more heat on my current budget if I gave up my small modest car and gym membership - but both add a lot of quality of life at the moment.

There are plenty of pensioners who struggle. It's quite frightening at the moment - my pension pot took a deep plunge when the Ukraine war started and is only picking up now. But who knows what could happen with such instability in the world?

It's a very different feeling if you share your household overheads with another person, and if you have a secure Direct Benefit pension .

For now my best friend and I both manage in 17' heat, swathe ourselves in blankets to watch TV and swap keeping warm tips. I can manage but I am sick to death of people dismissing the effects of abolishing the WFA.

pomegranatejuice

The right wing Daily Express has never cared about welfare when the Tories were in office. I wonder why the sudden Volte -Face? The sheer disingenuity displayed by not making the sampling clear..and making it clear that it only refers to those with incomes under £20,000. I note too they make no suggestion of renationalising our energy, o r offering to cut their own dividends, or cutting salaries of CEOs. Suddenly it is the fault of the incoming government. I have been impressed with the drive to get pensioners to claim pension credit, and there has been massive uptake. Put the Express back in the toilet where it belongs.

This is exactly my perspective - nothing to do with whether or not I am 'well-heeled' or know 'poor people' 🙄.

The headline doesn't bear scrutiny, and it definitely seems to me that the outrage at it is exactly the opposite of the views often expressed on here about benefits when it is younger people who need them, or when benefits were being cut by the previous government. It comes across as another stick with which to beat the Labour government, and possibly anger at losing £200, whether or not it was being spent on heating.

My irritation is with the willingness to swallow such clearly biased headlines. That does not mean that I think any older people should be cold, just as I don't think young people should struggle, or children go without breakfast. The only way to get around that is to raise taxes though, and that would infuriate many of the people who are indignant now.

Well I live in a Victorian large house with no central heating but I am seen as very unusual all my similar aged friends live in warm houses so I m not at all sure how they come up with two out of three I don’t live amongst rich people at all very average but none of us are freezing
I keep one room cosy and it really isn’t too much of a problem for me at all
( by the way I m one of the ‘just overs’ but I don’t resent it ….it is what it is I will adapt and survive 🤣🤣)

Yes, I too live on my own, with a small pension. Oh to have a husband or partner to share the expenses. I'm old, cold and fed up at the moment. I know things will get better soon weather wise but it seems a long way off.

ather.