The DWP's £10 Christmas "Bonus"

I haven't had mine yet- maybe as with all other benefits I won't be entitled.

Shame really as I was going to put my heating on for ten minutes on Christmas Day...

Allira

argymargy

Winter fuel allowance has not been axed.

How would you describe it?

Axed - To reduce or eliminate
It's been axed. Splintered pieces remain for some people.

No, it’s become a targeted benefit for people receiving pension credit. It’s not splintered, it’s quite clear, even if you don’t agree with it.

"How would you describe it?" (Allira)

A change in the rules to make it an income related benefit.

It should always been this.

argymargy

Winter fuel allowance has not been axed.

How would you describe it?

Axed - To reduce or eliminate
It's been axed. Splintered pieces remain for some people.

I regard the £10 ‘bonus’ as an insult and a reckless waste of public money, as are all universal payments. If millions of people who don’t need it were not sent it, there would be enough to really help those who do need help.
For my upcoming 80th birthday I get insulted again with a payment of 24 PENCE per week. I’m going to treat myself to couple of carrots each week.

petal53

The Conservative/LibDem government introduced the triple lock in 2010. Labour did not try to protect pensions during the Blair years, and in fact in 1999, Gordon Brown induced anger from both pensioners and others, after his derisory 75 pence per week pension increase. People do indeed have short memories, but not all of us do. Labour have never supported pensioners, probably regarding us as Tory voting and as expensive and unproductive. The triple lock has protected pensions since 2010, but nonetheless it is clearly insufficient, bearing in mind that those on full time minimum wage earn approximately £20,000, and it will have gone up as a result of the budget. Pensioners definitely cannot survive on the state pension, either the new or the basic, and many having realised this have made some sort of other provision for their retirement. Luckily.

Interestingly, the Conservatives Shadow Chancellor has just said that triple lock is unsustainable in the "very long term" and, of course, he is right*.

In the Coalition government in 2010 it was the Liberals who led the work on Pensions. They had done the work and had a ready to go plan to bring us closer to the Australian system of only means-tested state pensions. To this end the Workplace Pension was also introduced - intended to replicated the Australian superannuation.

The triple-lock was only ever intended to be a short-term answer and I congratulate the Shadow Chancellor for his honesty. It's just a pity that the extreme capitalists running the Tory Party over the last 14 years didn't do more to continue the Coalition's plan.

Labour should be careful about attacking Mel Strides comments. If we follow the coalition's plans (which had little to do with Conservatives) the triple lock will have to be changed. Existing state pensions would rise only in line with average earnings eventually. Pension Credit should, however, continue to rise by the Triple Lock until it reaches an agreed Minimum Income Standard for pensioners. At the same time all the additional bits and bobs attached to Pension Credit and state pension should be phased out.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation Minimum Income Standard for pensioners is £17,200 a year (9 Sept 2024). I have seen government figures not very different from this. This would become the new Means Tested Pension/pension credit base line. Although Legacy State Pensions would remain larger numbers will move to this new means tested pension. The government might also decide mean-tested pensions should include some additional health, transport and utilities benefits as the Australian model does. However, these could be social tariffs provided by suppliers. The £10 Christmas Bonus would disappear.

* news.sky.com/story/tory-government-would-axe-unsustainable-triple-lock-on-pensions-shadow-chancellor-says-13267742

MissAdventure

Blimey! Three pence!!

It's very odd, isn't it MissAdventure. No one dealing with the claim would ever had said that Catterygirl and Mr C were ineligible because "Mrs C earned 3 pence too much". It's the household income that is assessed and who is to say who earned the 3p?

Anyway, as I have said there are some benefits that can still be claimed. Also, each year the pension is being raised by triple-lock the triple lock will raise the Pension Credit faster so. In a couple of years the 3p won't matter.

Catterygirl

My husband applied for pension credit but was refused as I earn 3 pence too much because I worked all my life.

Catterygirl, were/are your savings under £10,000. Obviously I don't want to know but lots of things make a difference. Do you own you home or is it leasehold. Do either of you get Attendance Allowance? Various thing can make a difference to how your "income" is calculated.

Do you know you can still claim Warm Home Discount direct from your supplier. You may not get this years as you really need to claim in September and funds are limited. You can also apply for Council tax support, apply for NHS Low Income Support and, if you rent you should be able to get housing benefit.

Blimey! Three pence!!

My husband applied for pension credit but was refused as I earn 3 pence too much because I worked all my life.

PoliticsNerd

Wasn't it his responsibility to check the form, V3ra? I keep saying this. It's an insurance. Wouldn't you check a form for a car insurance or household insurance claim?

If he was quite young he probably trusted the staff member to do it - he probably supplied the answers to questions. I trust very few people these days and double check everything, but I would have trusted people when I was younger.

I went with the sone of friend to a Job Centre once for moral support because she couldn't go. We never actually saw the form, it was just filled in as he answered questions.

It’s crazy though, these legacy payments just need to be assimilated into the pension - perhaps there should be a bit more braveness on behalf of government and just do it. There is no real gripe unless the additional money is removed altogether, although people always moan about any changes.

I think the £10 bonus is like the extra 25p you get when reaching your 80th birthday. No government wants to be the one to stop it because of the storm in a tea cup it would cause. They're dammed if they do, dammed if they don't.
When the 25p was first awarded in 1971 it was worth something. My child benefit (for the 2nd child only) was about £1 then if I remember rightly.

Wasn't it his responsibility to check the form, V3ra? I keep saying this. It's an insurance. Wouldn't you check a form for a car insurance or household insurance claim?

My husband applied for Job Seekers Allowance once. He was turned down because the form was filled in incorrectly.

What was most annoying is that it was the job centre staff member handling his case who'd filled the form in 🙄

Granmarderby10

Just as I thought Rosie51 this sounded more akin to the attitudes of a pre-welfare state.

Or simply untrue

Just as I thought Rosie51 this sounded more akin to the attitudes of a pre-welfare state.

Granmarderby10

Mibsy

When I was claiming JSA they actually went through my purse, pulled out the coupons I'd been saving out of newspapers folks had finished with and gave me for fire kindling, in the hopes I might actually be able to use them to buy some nicer foodie bits, and they deducted the total value of those unused coupons, most of which were out of date anyways!

Was this in the UK Mibsy? And was it this century? …honestly!😏

I can't believe that happened in the UK. Granmarderby10 I asked my nephew who was on JSA for a few months how often he had to hand his wallet over for inspection. His reply, accompanied by a laugh, was 'never'.

Mibsy

When I was claiming JSA they actually went through my purse, pulled out the coupons I'd been saving out of newspapers folks had finished with and gave me for fire kindling, in the hopes I might actually be able to use them to buy some nicer foodie bits, and they deducted the total value of those unused coupons, most of which were out of date anyways!

Was this in the UK Mibsy? And was it this century? …honestly!😏

When I was claiming JSA they actually went through my purse, pulled out the coupons I'd been saving out of newspapers folks had finished with and gave me for fire kindling, in the hopes I might actually be able to use them to buy some nicer foodie bits, and they deducted the total value of those unused coupons, most of which were out of date anyways!

They were very, very helpful to me.

The thing is, people on benefits don't all enjoy it one little bit.
I bitterly resent having to fill in forms and "justify" how and why I'm not working, and I'm constantly in fear that "they" may decide I'm not bad enough to be not working.

Needs must, though, because I can't work, and I need money to live on.

Granmarderby10

I thought there was a maximum amount that a person could have in income and if you have more (not that much more) it is hardly worthwhile applying for. It is crystal clear to me that they don’t want to make this benefit any easier because more would apply even if unsuccessful. And so it remains an obstacle for a reason.

Just yesterday I went on a merry go round online trying to establish if there is any help with paying nhs dental charges if on a low income- (England) but in the end I’m still not certain if the answer is yes or no🤔 literally does my head in.

It can be worth applying for pension credit if you qualify as there are so many other benefits that kick in such as the warm home discount, free TV licence and other help.

Before I retired I was on a low income which entitled me to working tax credit. I had to stop claiming when I received my NHS pension at 65 as that took me over the earnings limit so I stopped my claim at the April prior to my 65th birthday to prevent being overpaid and having to pay it back. During the last year of my claim my monthly payments were very small, however the warm home discount came on top, and when my boiler broke down I got a replacement fitted free of charge because I was on tax credits. These extra payments to benefit claimants mean that those on the benefit end up much better off than those on a slightly higher income who don't qualify for the benefits.

I feel most sorry for those who just miss out on pension credit as they will really struggle without the winter fuel allowance. I'm actually better off as a pensioner than when I was working as I have my state pension as well as 3 small private pensions. There should be some way to taper the eligibility for pension credit, but sadly it would probably be too expensive administratively.

I've tried to persuade an aquaintance to apply for pension credit as I think she would be eligible, but she can't face the application process. She doesn't have access to the internet, or even a phone or tv. I considered offering to help but thought it might seem intrusive as I'd need to know all her financial details. I have at least saved her some money as she had received a tax bill and from what she had said about her income etc I couldn't see how she would be liable for tax as she's on less than the full old pension. She made enquiries and it turned out the revenue had made an error. She nearly paid the bill out of her savings when it was for someone else! Needless to say she was very grateful, but she is still adamant she won't apply for pension credit. I'm sure the CAB would help if she asked them to.

? Sorry, Mollygo looked up RTWP but can't see anything relevant.

In Ireland everyone on any kind of social welfare payment, including pension, gets a double payment for the week in early December. This has been the case for a number of years.

I’ve got a good memory, and I know that the facts don’t lie though petal53.
ifs.org.uk/publications/how-have-pensioner-incomes-and-poverty-changed-recent-years