U turn on winter fuel payments- is it a good move?

www.gov.uk/government/news/nine-million-pensioners-to-receive-winter-fuel-payments-this-winter#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20non%2Dcontributory,someone%20aged%2080%20or%20over.

This is the press release from R Reeves and the Treasury.

I'm still not clear about whether all pensioners will be assessed individually, or whether it will be done by household. Does anyone know? I'm not keen on household payments, as we pay tax as individuals, so IMO should get benefits on the same basis - one person's eligibility should not be affected by the income of another. In households where people split bills and expenses it would be particularly galling.

On the other hand, heating is either on or off, so single people are at a disadvantage when it comes to this. It would seem odd to have the payment made to someone with an income below the threshold if their spouse has a very high income, but any sort of means-test throws up anomalies like this.

I’m not sure Doodledog,

I think that if any government feel they have made a wrong decision, then it’s sensible to try and correct it.

But ‘U turns’ can make them look indecisive and weak.

Important issues need to be considered in depth before any rash moves are made, whether trying to court popularity or not.

To me, that then shows strength, not weakness.

I quite admire people who can publicly change their mind - provided of course they are doing so because they feel they were wrong initially, not because they are currying favour.

I for one will be thankful for the reinstatement of the fuel allowance, its a big help to me in the winter months.

Calendargirl

A pity this wasn’t what was done in the first place.

Of course it’s ’flip flopping’, this has only happened because of the negative response to the original plan.

No idea how it will all work.

Is 'flip-flopping' a good or bad thing, in your opinion? Should governments stick to decisions that the people they represent clearly dislike 'just because', or should they have the humility to change their minds?

Finally this government have listened but actually they shouldn't have removed it in the first place.

I'm pleased as my boiler is causing me lots of problems and additional money will help.

keepingquiet

Wonder how many people will post now they got what they wanted?

I will certainly be eligible if it's for those on less than £25 000 pa.

However, on the news now it's just more government baiting... seems they can't do right for doing wrong...

I think that in years to come this government's term will be used in schools as an example of how the media influence opinion. I've been interested in that sort of thing all my life, and have never seen things as bad as this. Maybe that's because there are more media sources than ever before, and because 'ordinary' people have access to them in ways that allow everyone to give their opinions, but it's been poisonous.

A pity this wasn’t what was done in the first place.

Of course it’s ’flip flopping’, this has only happened because of the negative response to the original plan.

No idea how it will all work.

Of course it’s a good move and it’s a sensible threshold. I doubt anyone just above the original threshold will be complaining.

Wonder how many people will post now they got what they wanted?

I will certainly be eligible if it's for those on less than £25 000 pa.

However, on the news now it's just more government baiting... seems they can't do right for doing wrong...

I think it is a brave move, as it is inevitable that even those who moaned when the WFA was cut will now moan about its reinstatement.

I don't think that people (including politicians, but also parents, managers and so on) should dig their heels in 'because I've said so' rather than listen to those who disagree and adapt if they feel critics have a point.

I don't know what I think about the new move as we haven't had the detail yet. Is the £35k limit a personal one or a household one, for instance? How will it be reclaimed if a person/household has income above that? Will HMRC be able to link couples' incomes?