'Grandmothers back means test on winter fuel allowance'

I've just had my winter fuel allowance for the first time and it's taken so much pressure off me worrying about heating the house this winter. Really scared that, as usual I'll end up being in the group that misses out yet again [always had to pay for prescriptions etc etc whilst seeing people who seem far richer than me not pay ].

There is also an article about it in The Times this morning. If I can find it online I shall cut and paste.

Where was this survey I don't remember seeing it here?

www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article3924908.ece

It took me ages to find this so hope it works.

Janet Street Porter is quite vicious about Gransnet daring to quote an opinion on this. here Quite vicious about Gransnet in general, in fact. What have we done to her to bring that on?

"Like the archbishop, this is a bunch of do-gooders I will be ignoring, along with its cringe-making sex tips for 80-year-olds."

Charming!

Well, she is usually equally charming, so her views are not that important. Probably read about sex tips in a yellow press version, and has forgotten the golden rule about going back to the source of all quotes, not relying on second or third hand reports by sensation-seekers.

I've always liked her but she's done it for me now. I think she needs to come on here for a Q&A [think Tony Blair and the WI ]. HQ; get her on here to explain herself [please].

The Times aricle seems truncated - perhaps because you have to pay to read it all? Here's one from the Telegraph.

www.telegraph.co.uk/health/elderhealth/10455549/Grandparents-support-rationing-winter-fuel-payments-and-bus-passes.html

Oh blimey - some of the comments aren't exactly complimentary about Gransnet either!

I know that there are one or two regular posters on here who really understand about designing representative and useful surveys. Perhaps they could comment on the validity of this survey. I certainly didn't see it or complete it.

And - JSP is a gobby columnist who relies on cheap sound bites, so I would never pay attention to a word she says. Her opinion isn't worth the price of the paper she wrote for.

And as for the idea of 'there have to be cuts' well, if you repeat a lie often enough eventually people begin to believe it.

In fact the admin costs of stopping these small benefits far outweighs any saving to be made. But JSP simply alienates any who might agree with that view by her intemperate language and unstructured argument.

I would not like to lose my heating allowance. I do ration heating now as the bills can be horrendous. We are more likely at our age to have it on during the day and although my house is well insulated, it still needs to be heated regularly or damp and mould would soon take over.

I'm doing eveything I can to cut back, but one thing I realised when I retired was that I'd have to keep the house warmer throughout the day. I'm going to buy a fan heater today; I know they're very expensive to run but I've realised I sometimes put the heating on to heat a room [eg if I've had a shower I heat up the bedroom] and I could just take the chill off a room with the heater. I echo what MiceElf said about the cost of 'means testing'. And where will it stop. Prescriptions, bus passes etc. Given that so many of us help the economy by child minding and not being on benefits we deserve soemthing back [no offence meant to anyone on benefits by the way].

What about a Halogen Heater, as promoted by The Guardian:

heater

I don't have one but have heard they are very good and cheap to run.

I did like JSP's style of writing but having just read this article I think she talks a load of bullshit rubbish. I wonder how often (if ever) she reads the GN forums. I would love to see her on here for a webchat.

On the subject of heating allowance. I do not qualify for this, but still think that the heating allowance should be means tested and rolled out to everyone who might be sitting at home freezing and unable to afford heating. It may not be a popular view but I fail to see the fairness in giving a fuel allowance to someone with a large income (just because of their age) when a younger person could be in more need.

I know you don't have to be a grandparent to belong to Gransnet but I would think most members recognise the importance of a grandparent's role in family life and empathise with the challenges it can bring.

Does JSP have a clue? Like that other self opinionated journalist, Liz Jones, she trumpets her childless state (her choice) and now seems to think that grandparents - the very ancient and doddery ones - should shut up and get on with the knitting.

She loves to bang on about being a Baby Boomer but if she was better at maths she'd work out that most of us on here were also born in that era.

I do agree about the cringemaking sex tips for 80 yr. olds but so typical of JSP to home in on a thread she could make fun of.

I think J.S.P is an awful woman! But I tell you what as we are all such a nuisance a drain on resourses with absolutely no reason at all to be on this earth and clearly resented, why don't the powers that be have us all 'put down' after the age of, lets say, 75 (gives me a year or two!!). So simple, and lets face it,the aging population problem solved in a stroke (so to speak!!) Clearing the way for younger smarter folk who are an asset to the economy and not a waste of GDP as we, so it would appear, are!

I think JSP is a loud mouthed, irritating bully who hasn't got a clue about life. The speed I can find and use the remote control if she is on a television has to be seen to be believed. An obnoxious woman with a voice that makes my nerves grate.

Going to the point in question, unfortunately when it comes to means testing it is the people on the border line who will suffer once again. That survey completely passed me by sadly (I think ) because I should have liked to have added my voice. Always supposing I didn't because I am so old (same age as JSP) that my memory has gone.

I've Tweeted JSP to say that this baby-boomer thinks she should come along and find out whether we are a bunch of do-gooders. She obviously knows nothing about Gransnet.

I have posted about this before but the thing is the winter fuel allowance is one of the things that benefits single pensioner households (who are amongst the poorest especially if they are women) significantly as it is £200 PER HOUSEHOLD. My income is around £12k per year after tax and my heating /utility costs are more than 10% of that income as is the council tax.
being at home all day and feeling the cold is a miserable existence and the £200 does help a bit. I am hardly a well heeled baby boomer am I?

by the way a good way to keep warm is to invest in a heated throw (about £40 on amazon) which is cheap to run and you can sit in comfort with a hot toddy and one of these over your knees, lap and shoulders rather than attempting to heat an entire room.

The Winter Fuel Allowance is a boon to a lot of us but a treat to a few others. I have friends who are well off and certainly don't need £200 towards their heat. However, means testing can be 'mean' and causes a lot of heartache upon those who just miss out.
I don't have the heat on during the day unless my thermometer goes to what is considered a dangerous level and could cause hypothermia. I have a lovely warm throw to put over my legs if I'm sitting and watching TV. I've also , on a really cold day, had a hot water bottle. Or just keep busy, do some housework etc.

mollie; that's about the amount I have to live on. Fuel allowance, bus passes etc are going to make a huge difference to me in the coming years. And, those who don't need the allowance spend it either on themselves or their family, so it isn't as if it's being put into some sort of overseas tax evasion fund of some kind.

Treat the winter fuel allowance and free TV licence as taxable income.

As much as anything, bus passes are a government subsidy for transport, especially rural bus services; admin. nightmare to tax them in proportion to how they are used. More traffic, more people driving who are past their prime and won't spend money on getting their eyes tested.....

How would means-testing work for prescription charges? Lots of old age complaints are chronic and require constant medication. How could this be fairly means-tested?

Can't stand JSP, but I share her doubts about the validity of this survey.