What Will You Do With 10 Million Frozen Pensioners, Rachel?

Good news about the Breakfast clubs.I thought her speech at Conference sounded hopeful at least.

MayBee70 as usual not targeted as the children most in need and given to all primary school children even the wealthy ones.

Well, if the money I’m not going to get as a WFP is going to allow the government to give free breakfasts to all primary school children it’s fine by me. But heaven forbid that some people on here can bring themselves to praise anything that Reeves is doing .

I am looking forward to an increase in my state pension though, which makes much more sense

But thanks to the triple lock we’d have got that anyway and the WFA.

Oreo

True Monica but it still leaves a lot who will struggle.

I quite agree, but quoting alarmist figures that are just not true, do not help those that really need help.

Wyllow3

Where do you get the 10 million figure from mae?

Reference?

In the UK there are 12 million who receive state pension, most who can afford to do without the heating allowance. For those on the margins, of course, more should get WFA, but this is just a plucked out the air figure propaganda for a typical "shock horror O/P.

*So I ask again, where is the reference for this figure of 10 million out of a total of 12 million?*

The Guardian dearie - but you sound wedded to the Daily Fail, sadly....

loopyloo

Boz, is that if you have a smart meter?

Yes, Loopylou, you need a smart meter.

All MP's can claim housing expenses, they are a different matter entirely from gifts, you are conflating the two.

If we are going to suggest changes in MP expenses (fair enough) let's take that route. And also look at those claims are cross party issue, where it belongs, MP's generally.

Boz, is that if you have a smart meter?

Ladylfl spelling out the sums involved - income over £11350 approx does not seem to qualify for pension credit for a single person. Between £60 and £80k per person seems to be quoted as threshold for tapering child benefits. I do believe that the qualifying figure for pension credit needs to be raised to at least £15k before pension credit is refused.

Eagerly claiming £3,700 in energy bill expenses and £7,500 worth of free clothing, the unimaginative, robotic Rachel Reeves has no idea of the hardship facing some people, and thinks a few stern words about some uncomfortable times ahead will solve the problem.
Much more of this to come.

Octopus have recently been giving away electricity. You have been able to run your appliances between 1 and 2 pm for free. We have been charging and tumble drying with gay abandon.
Apparently, they have been producing too much electricity and needed to run it off. You can't help wondering if all this surplus energy could allow them to discount those in need?

It’s a shame when GN descend to Daily Mail levels of ‘statistics’. Is it not the case that a great number of Pensioners do not claim the extra benefits they are entitled to? This is for various reasons ranging from embarrassment to not knowing such benefits exist. Sadly there are always people on the borderline of benefit claims - elder son and his partner just missed out on Child Benefit.

The new government definitely have a big hole to fill and we have to trust that over the next few years things will become easier.

I think quite a lot of groups will feel they've been treated unfairly in terms of need. Or unmet needs. an obvious group is long term disability.

I still question that 10 million pensioners will freeze to death as the result of changes to WFA.

If we are discussing pension levels overall and heating, that may be another matter

Oreo

maddyfour

growstuff
Sorry to hear you’ll be struggling. Are you not able to claim your teacher’s pension in addition to your state pension? Maybe you’re not old enough yet to claim both.

I thought that some pensions, such as for teachers could be drawn down early?

If that's addressed to me, it's irrelevant.

Elusivebutterfly

As I have just posted on another thread, most single female pensioners are not well off, although above Pension Credit level. The Government website shows that single female pensioners' average weekly income last year was £267, equal to under £14,000 per year.
We will not freeze, but many of us will dip into savings or cut other things to keep moderately warm.

Exactly! However, the WFA is only a fraction of total income. It won't make the difference between having adequate heating and freezing.

maddyfour

Well we know it’s not to save much money because much money will not be saved. No other group has been singled out to contribute towards filling the black hole. Why have pensioners been singled out? Because traditionally pensioners vote Conservative. Punishment. For keeping the Conservatives in and Labour out for so many years. There can be no other explanation for hitting such a soft target.

No other group has been singled out - yet!

As I have just posted on another thread, most single female pensioners are not well off, although above Pension Credit level. The Government website shows that single female pensioners' average weekly income last year was £267, equal to under £14,000 per year.
We will not freeze, but many of us will dip into savings or cut other things to keep moderately warm.

Many people I know donated their WFA to charity. My neighbour gave hers to RNLI. They will be £200 down this year from just one person. Many charities are already struggling. They will miss this income.

X posts

For those taking early retirement.

maddyfour

growstuff
Sorry to hear you’ll be struggling. Are you not able to claim your teacher’s pension in addition to your state pension? Maybe you’re not old enough yet to claim both.

I thought that some pensions, such as for teachers could be drawn down early?

Yes maddyfour I claim Teachers Pension plus state pension, but I also have to pay £850 a month rent. I am £13 a week over the threshold for Pension Credit.

Have seen a hilarious video of an old lady saying she and her friends might freeze to death now they’ve lost their WFA.

She says “guess what Labour? I’m going to keep my heating on and not pay my bills.”

Then “Do you want to know why Labour? Because you’ve got no f*****g room in your prisons”. 🤣

growstuff
Sorry to hear you’ll be struggling. Are you not able to claim your teacher’s pension in addition to your state pension? Maybe you’re not old enough yet to claim both.