The DWP's £10 Christmas "Bonus"

I'm new here * but run a help group on another social media site. I was reading through this thread gradually despairing of the lack of knowledge ( or could that be ^^acknowledgment ) of the benefits system. Thankfully you commented !

If anyone wants any help ( and it's allowed ) I'll happily point you in our direction ( one of my fellow volunteers works in Pension Credit , I'm retired from Housing and Council Tax Benefit and have provided Welfare Advice for local governments and disability charities )

* Hope it's ok to be here, as I'm neither a gran ( never had the chance ) nor a pensioner though, at 58, I am technically retired. I'm a proud harridan and also run on tea

Thank you Jilly, look out for requests for help and advice in the legal or health sections, there are also recurrent discussions on pensions

Mollygo

It could indeed, but first there’d have to be an announcement, and all the kerfuffle trying to justify it, then the appointment of another group or person to administer it and then . . . it would still only be 50p per week for 50 weeks of the year, unless it was swallowed up in admin.

I don’t know, if they announced they were doing it when the new year’s pension amount was agreed, and assimilated it rather than taking it away, I don’t think people would care, as they would still be getting the money. It’s actually less than 20p per week.

Do you know, my maths was askew yesterday, so you’re right Casdon, it would be less.
You don’t think people would care as they’d still be getting the money.

I think people wouldn’t believe they’re getting the money.

And if the government sent out letters to every pensioner (as with the WFP) telling them that they were withdrawing the £10 Christmas bonus, but the money would be assimilated into their pension rise, the organisation, and postage for that would take care of most of it, and the treasury would need the rest of it to work out how many extra pennies each pensioner should get, see how little it is and probably decide not to bother.
Meanwhile, the cabinet will be sitting in their cosily heated offices,
claiming their desperately necessary expenses,
and eating their delightfully subsidised meals, patting themselves on the back at having taken more money money off pensioners,and not giving a hoot.

Maybe you’re right Mollygo, some people are definitely in a loop of not believing anything any government tells them, particularly this one. I’m in favour of all governments simplifying administrative processes where there is no detriment to the people served wherever possible though, because long term it both reduces errors in process, and saves the country resources.

Why not just leave it as it is therefore not fret about all the changes and costs/possible tax thresholds changes if changes.

Would those who object to MPs' 'perks' prefer to see nobody have more than a basic salary? If so, how far would that go?

Should everyone be restricted to the legal minimum of holidays, for instance? Is it fair that not everyone gets the same amount of paid time off? Is it hypocritical of those with lots of holiday to go to (eg) a hairdresser who is paid less and still gets less than half the time off and expect to be served, or should we all have the same number of weeks as holiday?

Or mileage allowances for those who use vehicles as part of their work? Or train/plane fares and hotel bills if people are away from home on business? Is it wrong for those to be paid on top of salary?

Should we all contribute to the heating bills of our workplaces? That would be tricky to work out for people with jobs like mine, which required me to be in different buildings at different times of day, although my office was on a centrally controlled heating system, so was heated all day. Still, I suppose one way of thinking would suggest that I was saving on my bills at home by sitting in my warm office.

What about people who live in homes that are owned by their employers? Right to buy has seen the numbers shrink, but there are still school caretakers, vicars and others who have a 'tied' house. Should that be stopped as there is a housing shortage?

BUPA membership? Discounts for NHS workers? Apple Education discounts? Costco membership😉

Obviously anyone drunk or partying at work would expect to be fired (wouldn't they?), but if someone is caught printing a knitting pattern on the office printer, should they be forced to resign? Or using the internet to post on FB (or GN)? What about charging your phone in the office?

Much of this is accepted by most, as it it recognised that different jobs have different requirements and different benefits. Also, in many cases people use their homes as well as their workplaces for their employers' benefit. I was often up late (using my electricity and heating) on my own laptop, using my internet connection to work, and would print things ready for the next day. Of course I should be able to charge my phone at work and use the internet when I had a break, or come in a bit late if something was happening at home and I had no time-critical commitments at work. If my colleagues and I had stuck rigidly to contract things would have been very different, and would have worked against the employer, which is, no doubt, why they were happy for things to continue as they did.

I was briefly a civil servant in the past. We had a heavily subsidised canteen, which wasn't uncommon. People used to get luncheon vouchers - are they still a thing? My sister currently works for a commercial organisation who offer subsidised food and free parking (via an agreement with the local council). Is that corrupt?

My point is that many people have employee 'perks' which might be given as incentives, might be for operational convenience, or for all sorts of reasons. Why should MPs be any different?

My friend was fitted in during a quiet time, and had the excess skin above her eyes surgically removed, in an nhs hospital!

And she only waited about a week, too.

argymargy

Winter fuel allowance has not been axed.

Not for everyone but for the majority of pensioners it most certainly has been axed. A comment which simply states it has has not been axed is disingenuous.

Well, so is one claiming it has.

petal53

argymargy

Winter fuel allowance has not been axed.

Not for everyone but for the majority of pensioners it most certainly has been axed. A comment which simply states it has has not been axed is disingenuous.

Pension Credit is an insurance benefit for those who, for whatever reason, do not have enough to live on.

Why, logically, would you have a universal WFA? If the pension is not enough then increase the threshold of Pension Credit by that amount to capture those for whom it is a necessity.

I love hearing about all the pensioners who are happy to forfeit their WFA so that Rachel Reeves, and similar, can have their heating costs paid for.

petal53

I love hearing about all the pensioners who are happy to forfeit their WFA so that Rachel Reeves, and similar, can have their heating costs paid for.

I feel this sort of opinion has been voiced constantly all summer andante the winter. The discussion about MP's expenses is long term and on going.
They've been getting these expenses for years, and yes I think they should be cut back on

lets be clear, when the Tories were in, where were the extended and extensive and constant cries of outrage from Tory supporters

WFA changes are one of many to allow for the "whole pot" to pay for NHS, schools, care, disability benefits to even survive. Yes, the bar was set too low, but in principle we cannot afford to pay WFA to those who really don't need it.

Did you not know, Petal, that all MPs have always enjoyed this perk, whatever their affiliations? We, the taxpayers, have always funded this.
It's not just Rachel Reeves, and it's not the WFA re-routed.

It's absolute nonsense to say that people are happy to give up WFA to pay for RR's heating.

We used to hear from lots of people on here who explained that they didn't need it and donated it to charity. This is virtuous of course, but it meant that the government was giving taxpayers' money to people who, by definition, didn't need it (the ones who were giving it away) and they were then deciding who was worthy of their donation. So basically the money was re-routed to causes the better-off thought deserving.

By cutting the money to the better-off, the government can decide where it is spent. Not on Ministers' heating, as this has always been covered, but on things like breakfast clubs for hungry children. Or even children who don't (objectively) 'need' it. As the government has an overview of what is needed by whom, isn't this a better system?

Regardless, nobody is giving anything to RR, and the means-testing of the WFA won't impact on her heating bills, any more than they impacted on billionaire Rishi Sunak's bills when he was Chancellor, or on anyone else before either or both of them.

I cannot understand all the vitriol being targeted at the new government for axing the WFP. There have been enough moans on GN about the dire state of the health service, schools, transport etc. In order to improve things money has to come from some where. Which ever method of raising the necessary funds is used you are going to displease some group. The WFP was a very ill thought out benefit and all must agree that is the case. I think pensioners, because they are the most reliable group of voters, feel they have to be treated as a special case. Can we give the Government a chance to see if their strategy will work? The negativity in this country these days is so depressing and I think social media sites encourages it.

I had a wry smile yesterday. An acquaintance, not short of a bob or too, was ranting that she always used the WFP to buy her Christmas presents.

Doodledog

‘The majority’ of pensioners are not on pension credit.

The WFP has been means-tested - something that, when it applies to other benefits (eg child benefit and universal credit) doesn’t raise an eyebrow as a rule. We’ve had threads saying that even birthday presents to benefit claimants should be declared as income and deductions to benefits made accordingly, not to mention the outrage when claimants have ‘the latest phone’ or a flat screen tv.

I am no fan of means-testing, but where is the consistency? We also get countless threads about how people should be grateful for everything they get, specially Christmas presents, so again, the consistency is missing.

I get neither WFP nor the Christmas bonus, as I am still waiting for my state pension, but wouldn’t be doffing my cap or curtsying in any case - you go ahead if you think it necessary though. How will the logistics work? Do you have to go to the HofC to doff and curtsey, or can you do it from home via Zoom or FaceTime?

Well said Doodledog

Casdon

I don’t think that the £10 bonus should continue in its present form. It would be much less administratively burdensome for DWP if it was just absorbed into the pension rather than being a one off annual payment. The simpler the system the better in my view.

Yes that makes good sense

This magnanimous amount to the tune of 10 pounds is from the days of Maggie Thatcher. Ten quid in those days would buy you quite a lot but now you would struggle to buy a packet of soap powder. I still welcome it and will not say no. It would probably cost more to stop it for the majority of us nuisances called pensioners. The sooner we all die off and it is all left to the Generation Z lot the better. We have got one A card left to us and that is this, if and I mean if they all live to our age , they will all struggle and know how it feels. As for the entitled ones that think a new phone or hair extensions and false nails are the mainstay of life good luck to them.

I think they have made it so people don't need to worry about working full time. If you can get pension credit you get lots of other benefits which will work out more than the full state pension. And don't save too much either to make sure you qualify

petal53

I love hearing about all the pensioners who are happy to forfeit their WFA so that Rachel Reeves, and similar, can have their heating costs paid for.

Yes and so many posters will say it’s been going on for a long time, which is true, but not really a valid excuse, whichever government is in power.
Or, the last government was worse-which is said every time the government changes.
Or go into lengthy, convoluted reasoning to try and justify it.
If RR had said she was just going to withdraw WFA from all those people who gave it away every year, I wonder how many people would still say that.

I remember my Granny using the £10 bonus to do her Christmas shopping!!! Why couldn’t they have axed this and only taken away the WFP for pensioners on higher rate tax, same as the farmers the just used the one size fits all model

Jackiest

Don't worry as they as not raising the tax thresholds we will all soon be paying tax even we only get the standard basic government pension.

Courtesy of the previous Tory budget.

sandev67

They can keep their £10 as far as I'm concerned.

well if you don't want it, do please pass it on to a charity which could make good use of it. Perhaps Help The Aged?

Just to put the cat amongst the pigeons - Nigel Farage has stated he will not be claiming his "energy" allowance - shame all the other MPs don't follow suit!!