Rachel Reeves has announced that winter fuel payments will only be paid to those on Pension Credit.nsion Credit

Can't help thinking that a new labour government with all it's options to obtain funds to plug the gap chooses the pensioners winter fuel payment. Ok, some don't need it but the state pension in the UK is pretty poor and some people will go cold this winter. Just counter intuitive.

Labour doesn’t like pensioners - is this the best criticism the anti Labour posters can come up with

I listened to (the awful) Jeremy Vine at mid-day. The majority of callers fully supported the removal of WFA from people who don’t qualify for pension credit. It won’t be universally popular but if WFA is to be removed this seems the simplest way to do it. Of course, it will hit those on the margins but the idea of wealthy pensioners getting it was always inappropriate

Iam64

Labour doesn’t like pensioners - is this the best criticism the anti Labour posters can come up with

I listened to (the awful) Jeremy Vine at mid-day. The majority of callers fully supported the removal of WFA from people who don’t qualify for pension credit. It won’t be universally popular but if WFA is to be removed this seems the simplest way to do it. Of course, it will hit those on the margins but the idea of wealthy pensioners getting it was always inappropriate

I agree that wealthy pensioners do not need and should not get the WFA.

I am appalled that those who have scrimped and saved all their lives to have a bit for their old age will not get it due to being a couple of £’s a week over.

So, who would opt out of accepting the fuel allowance, given a chance?

Ziplok

I really don’t like this “I’m alright Jack” attitude that some here seem to have because they are comfortably off and so don’t mind losing it.Many are not comfortably off, but fall just above any thresholds for receiving benefits of any kind, so will find themselves really struggling. Then there are the people who, for whatever reason (pride, embarrassment, fear, etc), won’t apply even when entitled to.
I think it is Martin Lewis who has suggested that a fairer way would be to look at which council tax band you fall into and those within the lower bands be eligible.
We are desperately in the red, that’s true, but oh, how much waste there is - that needs tackling, but it seems that softer targets are easier. How often do we read of big debts being written off, or fraud investigations coming to naught, whereas if Jo or Josephine Bloggs got into debt they’d be chased hard.
Money can amazingly be raised to send abroad, though.

I don't think Martin Lewis'z suggestion will work.

There are many older people, often widowed or alone for other reasons, who live in a property which might be in a higher Council tax band but their income is relatively low.

Downsize? Release some capital? A smaller property might be easier and cheaper to heat but there are very few such properties available and those that are may not be in the location where the person wants to live.

MissAdventure

So, who would opt out of accepting the fuel allowance, given a chance?

We would at this present time.

Might be in a different situation in the future, who knows.

Hattietopper, woodburning stoves are wonderful, not dirty to use and very comforting. I miss mine with all my heart.

Casdon

Who is trying to whitewash it Oreo? Nobody at all wants to see people go cold because they can’t pay to heat their home.

If we reach the stage where we are able to have a mature discussion about the potential ways forward to support people who are just outside the threshold that would be helpful I think, rather than mudslinging (I don’t mean you, I’m talking generally). It’s happening, whether Gransnetters like it or not, so what can we offer to help, there’s a lot of knowledge on this site about all sorts.

A few posters are saying it’s all good, just read all the posts.
Whitewave says we shouldn’t be getting ourselves excited by it. Others say they think it the right thing to do.
Nothing anyone can say on this forum can help fill the monetary gap for pensioners like my Mum, in her 80’s and I shall have to cough up the cash for her, when I’m a low earner anyway.If I don’t I know she won’t put the heating on.

Nicenanny3

Well the Tories gave us the Triple Lock and a big rise this year and the extra money for heating put into our accounts as well as the Winter Fuel Allowance and Rachel Thieves (good name that) and LIEbour (another apt name) took it away.

Thank you.
Fair point.

I’ve just nipped in before I nip out again, so I haven’t read any of this thread really. But I do agree with iam64

We have a labour government probably in power for the next 5 years, we have not yet had a budget or spending review so I think it is very difficult to comment yet on Reeves economic plans.

What we have had this week is Reeves outlining what labour have inherited from the Tories, and how this will be managed in the immediate future.

I am content to wait and see what the spending review and budget brings.

I think that we can be fairly certain that there will be tax rises.

I shall now dash ,shower, get changed and nip out again😊

Callistemon213

Ziplok

I really don’t like this “I’m alright Jack” attitude that some here seem to have because they are comfortably off and so don’t mind losing it.Many are not comfortably off, but fall just above any thresholds for receiving benefits of any kind, so will find themselves really struggling. Then there are the people who, for whatever reason (pride, embarrassment, fear, etc), won’t apply even when entitled to.
I think it is Martin Lewis who has suggested that a fairer way would be to look at which council tax band you fall into and those within the lower bands be eligible.
We are desperately in the red, that’s true, but oh, how much waste there is - that needs tackling, but it seems that softer targets are easier. How often do we read of big debts being written off, or fraud investigations coming to naught, whereas if Jo or Josephine Bloggs got into debt they’d be chased hard.
Money can amazingly be raised to send abroad, though.

I don't think Martin Lewis'z suggestion will work.

There are many older people, often widowed or alone for other reasons, who live in a property which might be in a higher Council tax band but their income is relatively low.

Downsize? Release some capital? A smaller property might be easier and cheaper to heat but there are very few such properties available and those that are may not be in the location where the person wants to live.

Well said Callistemon213 and the person may value her neighbours and not be able to bear the thought of moving.

Whitewavemark2

I’ve just nipped in before I nip out again, so I haven’t read any of this thread really. But I do agree with iam64

We have a labour government probably in power for the next 5 years, we have not yet had a budget or spending review so I think it is very difficult to comment yet on Reeves economic plans.

What we have had this week is Reeves outlining what labour have inherited from the Tories, and how this will be managed in the immediate future.

I am content to wait and see what the spending review and budget brings.

I think that we can be fairly certain that there will be tax rises.

I shall now dash ,shower, get changed and nip out again😊

Jolly good 😄

Would be funny if it wasn't becoming true 🤔

You may be content Whitewavemark2 but most pensioners aren’t and neither am I, a non pensioner.

MissAdventure

Nicenanny3

Well the Tories gave us the Triple Lock and a big rise this year and the extra money for heating put into our accounts as well as the Winter Fuel Allowance and Rachel Thieves (good name that) and LIEbour (another apt name) took it away.

Thank you.
Fair point.

Only sort of true though. The triple lock was a LibDem pledge for the 2010 election, and was one of the things introduced in the coalition government, so actually it’s them we have to thank.

Ah, fair point Casden.
Thank you.

Castdon. Sorry to the pedants.

HattieTopper

People who are getting the new state pension won't feel the stopping of the WFA as much as we older people on the old state pension as people on the new state pension get much more a month than we do. The difference between the two is £52 per week that means people on the new state pension get £200 approx more every four weeks. See below.......

The weekly rate of the full new State Pension is £221.20 per week. The weekly rate of the full basic State Pension is £169.50 per week.

So before peope on the new state pension start saying they can manage, with the WFA they should realise that they can manage because they get a lot more per month than we on the old state pension receive.

Don't forget, HattieTopper that a full new State Pension of £221.20 per week is payable after paying just 35 years of contributions.

Under the old scheme, 35 years of contributions is not enough for a full pension so only 35/39 of the old State Pension is paid ie £152 per week.
Add in a small works pension (because many older women may have taken a few years out to bring up a family), taking them a few £s above the limit to claim more, and the result will be a lot of older women pensioners cold and miserable next winter.

Ah well, there's always hot water bottles, blankets and lentil soup.

If British pensioners who get £12k per year are considered too well off to receive the winter fuel allowance , shouldn't MP's on £96k per year be considered too rich to receive housing , heating , travel and meal subsidies ?
#NEVERLABOUR 🤬
(Copied from Facebook)

GrannyGravy13

Lovetopaint037

They appear to have sorted the doctor’s strike. That is a relief.also promising increased nhs pay. Anger should be focussed on Hunt and the last useless lying government including Truss. They knew about the black hole and they knew it would force Labour to make some hard decisions.

Another poster has pointed out that the black hole is actually only 2% of government spending/borrowing.

More of a pin prick in reality

Catastrophising!!

MissAdventure

Increases to the new State Pension
You can now get up to £221.20 per week depending on the National Insurance contributions you made during your working years.

Increases to the old State Pension
The full State Pension under the old rules is now £169.50 per week for people with at least 30 years of NI contributions.

Increases to Pension Credit
Guarantee Credit can now top up your income to at least £218.15 per week for single people and £332.95 for couples.

Savings Credit is now up to £17.01 extra per week for single people or £19.04 extra per week for couples.

The full State Pension under the old rules is now £169.50 per week for people with at least 30 years of NI contributions.

No, older people need 39 full years of contributions to get a full old State Pension

So 30/39th of £169.50.

If you're a woman born before 6 April 1950 or a man born before 6 April 1945, you may need more years of NI contributions. If this applies to you, it's a good idea to seek specialist advice.

The whole system of pensions is constantly changing and often unfair.

I don’t doubt many better off pensioners can afford to pay their heating bills (due to increase this winter) but many pensioners can’t, but don’t qualify for PC, and will have to go short of essentials to manage it.

There are choices for Reeves but she’s picked the low hanging fruit, not daring to upset some who pay lower rates of tax than others in society. I do hope she addresses this in the budget, but I’m not holding my breath.

Merion

I still maintain that withdrawing WFA at such short notice was indiscriminately cruel. For two winters we have had enhanced payments of £500 or £600 depending on age because of the cost of living crisis. If someone heats their home for six months then that was a very welcome £83 or £100 a month toward those costs. I think WFA was reverting to £200 or £300 this year but it would still have been £33 or £50 a month that people were budgeting on. Reeves would be the frst to day we need to budget responsibly. To take away WFA just a month before the cold weather sets in in some parts of the country seems heartless. How is someone on a limited budget meant to meet that shortfall? Yes, the Chancellor has some hard decisions to make but why this particular benefit? Because it was a quick and easy target? Warmth is at the very base of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: food, water, shelter, warmth and rest. The 1.5 billion saving is a drop in the ocean. As, I said upthread, she should have left WFA alone until other measures were put in place to protect those who are entitled to but not yet receiving pension credit and the results of the Ofgem review of energy standing charges that are costing households £300 a year irrespective of how much energy they use.

👏👏👏

Yes, as I have said previously, these add-ons which are not consolidated as part of a state pension or benefit can be removed instantly.

I forgot to say, as well as watching the heating costs, using hot water bottles, blankets and lentils, there isn't even the joy of watching TV in the dark days of winter.

… at the risk of starting another argument here, I’d get rid of Premium Bonds
I do like the frisson of excitement and anticipation every month!
Even those with very few bonds have been known to win £1million

Anyone else think that had Labour had gone into the election admitting they would pay the doctors 22% and the rest of the public sector over 5%, whilst removing the Winter Heating Allowance from millions of pensioners living just above poverty levels, would the election result would have been very different?

One month in Ms. Reeves. 59 to go…

We’re watching.

From the Guardian 16/4/24
Nearly 1 million people aged over 66 in the U.K. are living in deprivation, according to government statistics, the highest numbers since comparable records began.
Labour which analysed figures from the DWP records , has vowed to be the party for pensioners………
Ho hum.