First 2023/24 cost of living payment date

Basically what I should expect from people who hate Conservatives.
DA - you should be familiar with Maisie’s views about taxation not funding spending (see the comment above about ‘our money’) by now.

I don't 'hate Conservatives' - some of my best friends...

I just don't think that people should be expected to show gratitude to the government of the day - will you be grateful to any future Labour government if they perform a few tricks?

I suspect any Labour government would take from me, not give.

Germanshepherdsmum

Basically what I should expect from people who hate Conservatives.
DA - you should be familiar with Maisie’s views about taxation not funding spending (see the comment above about ‘our money’) by now.

I don't know who these "people who hate Conservatives" are, but that doesn't include me. I would rather you didn't compare my attitude to what I can only think is your own natural tendency.

I don't "hate" people. I may decry what they do to others and be horrified by the shallow thinking that leads to "othering" of groups, etc., but I do not hate the person. I admire many who would identify as "Conservatives" as human beings while disagreeing with their political views.

I think it is wrong not to let someone else know when you use them to support your argument in a thread that they have come nowhere near. However, I have no expectation that you will behave differently.

Feel free to tell Maizie I have mentioned her mantra about creation of money. I see no need to do so. I have not criticised her in any way, rather the opposite.
What do you mean by the reference to my behaviour?

Germanshepherdsmum

I suspect any Labour government would take from me, not give.

If it's left of centre and not as extreme as this far-right government, that will only happen if it's fair to do so. From what you say, the vast growth of the inequality gap has favoured you. If you sit at the extremes when the see-saw goes up for you, you must be aware that the guy on the other end will want his turn, and you will come down with a bump.

Much better to gather everyone together, much closer to the centre and then the large bumps are less frequent and less harsh for all.

Perhaps you have never considered that those driven to the extremes of life's poverties would ever want to reverse the situation? I have to wonder how you perceive others who are not 'just like you' or if you even think about it.

growstuff

Germanshepherdsmum

And people forget all the payments that have been made to help with fuel and the cost of living whilst bashing the government.
I thought you were working GagaJo.

No, I haven't forgotten. I've received my non-means tested fuel payments, just like everybody else and I've factored them into my monthly budget. They haven't covered the increases in my bills.

I don't receive any additional help, despite my income being low enough for Housing Benefit. Go figure!

if you are entitled to help with housing are you not eligible for a top up with Universal Credit or a council tax rebate?

I receive about £2 a week in council tax reduction in addition to housing benefit, but no Pension Credit. I have an NHS low income certificate (HC1), which means I don't pay for basic NHS dentistry and get a voucher for glasses, if I need new ones. As I'm not eligible for a "gateway benefit", I don't receive extra cost of living support.

I am one of many with a very low income, who is falling through holes in the system.

Germanshepherdsmum

I thought you had a fairly well off partner growstuff?

So the government assistance hasn’t covered the increases in your bills - what do you expect? Aren’t you pleased that you and other people have had significant help?

Yes, I do, although he still has a mortgage and is going through an expensive divorce.

However, I have never depended on anybody else in my life and I'm not a gold digger. He pays for me to go out for coffees every so often and sometimes gives me presents I wouldn't otherwise be able to afford, such as a short break in Paris for my birthday (the first time I've been abroad for 18 years). We don't live together (yet) and he's not responsible for my daily living expenses.

I'm well aware that there are people who are much worse off than I am and don't have friends who wouldn't let them sink into abject poverty.

growstuff

I receive about £2 a week in council tax reduction in addition to housing benefit, but no Pension Credit. I have an NHS low income certificate (HC1), which means I don't pay for basic NHS dentistry and get a voucher for glasses, if I need new ones. As I'm not eligible for a "gateway benefit", I don't receive extra cost of living support.

I am one of many with a very low income, who is falling through holes in the system.

You receive no Pension Credit because you would have to be poorer to do so. I can't remember whether it was you, but we had a person who, when we discussed this before, with much the same complaints, had an income of almost twice what is eligible for a Pension Credit?

What became apparent after an 'all round the houses' trip on that one was that it wasn't the Pension Credit that was the problem; it was the percentage of income the person was paying for rent. With an income roughly twice as much as the eligible amount for PC, what they should have been complaining about were our housing problems.

Nothing for me either although I m on a low income but just above their line for getting any help
I have no gratitude for this very right winged government

BlueBelle

Nothing for me either although I m on a low income but just above their line for getting any help
I have no gratitude for this very right winged government

You can get some Council Tax Support even if your income is too high for Pension Credit and, as Growstuff has shown, you can claim Housing Benefits at a figure above Pension Credit. Housing benefit also has a strand that pays towards services if you live in a leasehold property that you own, and the services are a condition of the lease.

I'm not sure these would change a great deal under another flavour of government. My wish would be that, things would be done so people don't need so many and such complicated benefits. Raising SP and wages/salaries would do that. I doubt, however, that would be done straight away.

growstuff

How many years are you talking about Primrose? Free school meals have been around for decades - and the eligibility criteria were more generous too.

I meant free school meals for ALL early years children.

I know free school meals have been around for years for those on very low incomes. When I was at school Mum found out we 3 children were entitled to free school meals as although my Dad always worked he was on poor wages. My Dad though, refused to take the form to his employer to sign because he did not want anybody saying he could not afford to feed his children. How times change!

My Mum lived to nearly 97 and was always saying she was well satisfied with all the help she got. Her State Pension, Attendance Allowance, Pension Credit, free dental treatment, free glasses, discount at the hairdressers, bus pass, free TV licence.

She owned her own house (ex council so not a mansion) but because my parents never had enough over after paying bills they only had very small savings. They didn’t smoke or drink but managed to run an oldish car. They never took holidays. They did not expect much but were just happy as they were. Hence she was eligible for Pension Credit. Mum kept a housekeeping book right up until age 92 when she was diagnosed with Alzheimers.

I can clearly remember my Dad being totally over the moon when the DHSS sent him a cheque for just over £1,000 because they had been checking that elderly people were getting all they were entitled to and he wasn’t! My Dad would never claim for anything!

People on Universal Credit are just getting their £301 cost of living payments which now total over £900. That doesn’t affect us but I am very pleased that the Govt are making these payments.

Nothing for me 😥

Nothing for me either although I’m on a low income but just above their line for getting any help

Same for me Bluebelle. The people who are just above the thresholds for any benefits are truly struggling. Not ‘poor’ enough for any help yet not ‘rich’ enough for it not to matter. I cannot tighten my belt any further yet am deemed to have enough to live on. I realise there has to be a line - perhaps that line should now be raised to bring more people into the qualifying zone. Won’t happen of course!

Nothing here either.

DaisyAnne

GagaJo

Nothing for me either. Despite being on a low income.

If it and your savings are as low as those getting the benefits you should be getting them too. If it isn't, you won't. What is your measure of a low income?

Struggling to pay bills. Not being able to afford heat but not being old enough to qualify for a winter heat allowance.

No, I don't claim any benefit, because I'm self employed, but at my age, I'd struggle to find employment such as I used to have.

There are many of us who fall through the cracks. It doesn't mean life isn't hard, just that the boundaries for who is eligible for help are very rigid.

Meanwhile, my friend, living in a 3 story, 5 bed house, alone, got state pension 8 years before I will and gets winter heat allowance every winter.

Unfortunately there has to be a threshold whether that be age for state pension or income/savings for benefits. (I am a one of the women who has had to wait till they are 66 for their state pension).

Oops I am still waiting for SP

There are many of us who fall through the cracks.

That’s a good way to describe it GagaJo. I often feel invisible in the eyes of the government. At least Theresa May showed empathy for those not on benefits but ‘just about managing’. This current lot appear to have abandoned us!

Some people have too much in savings to claim Universal Credit. If you have over £16,000 then you are not eligible. You can’t claim Pension Credit either.

My late Mum only had a few thousand in her bank account so was able to claim Pension Credit and, I have to say, that all staff I spoke to were very helpful indeed. pension Credit then opens up to free specs, free dental treatment etc.

Maybe some people on here could get in touch with the Dept of Work & Pensions and double check that they are getting all they are entitled to. You can do a check online too.

I meant to say, being on Pension Credit also meant that when Mum was unable to use the stairs and get in and out of the bath we were able to get a grant from the council for a stairlift and got the bathroom converted to a wet room. Again, the council staff were excellent. It enabled her to stay in her own home for many more years and retain her independence.

They could start here

www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

Thanks Primrose I’ve already done the benefits calculator. I’ve also been to CAB and gone through my finances with someone there. I have a (very) small works pension which puts me just above the threshold for claiming anything. Even the woman at CAB said it was such a shame. She said I’d be better off, as things stand at the moment, without the works pension because the cost of living payment is more per annum than the little pension. However, long term, who knows. Just one of those things I suppose. If I’d had a crystal ball years ago, I wouldn’t have paid into the work pension, would have had more money in my wage packet each month at the time, and would be better off now. Sadly my crystal ball was out of action way back when…