Freezing this 🎄… by Sir Starmer and The Granny Harmers!

He should regret not removing the 2 child benefit cap. A Labour party that refuses to help poorer children is not a Labour party. He should be very regretful and ashamed.

Now they are thinking about taking away free prescriptions from pensioners. I am not normally very politically minded but I hate Starmer and the fawning Rayner.

No, they aren’t Liz46, the consultation is about the right to free prescriptions being withdrawn for people aged between 60 and 66, ie pension age.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60e455b08fa8f50c7683861d/changes-to-giving-free-prescriptions-to-people-aged-60-and-over_easy-read.pdf

Liz46

Now they are thinking about taking away free prescriptions from pensioners. I am not normally very politically minded but I hate Starmer and the fawning Rayner.

As far as I understand the rumour, put out by some of the press, it says for those aged over 60 to 66. So not pensioners.
Whether this is true or not, I like most people have no evidence.

I can't see the harm in having a conversation about it. It used to be the case that (for women) free prescriptions kicked in at retirement age, when their income fell. Now that retirement age has risen, perhaps that link no longer applies.

If research shows that because the over 60s are more likely to have multiple conditions that mean that paying for prescriptions would disadvantage them, however, then there is a good reason to keep the age as it is.

Refusing to discuss things like this is very short sighted, but lately as soon as something is even mentioned, never mind properly debated, there are those running about like Chicken Licken making all sorts of pronouncements about the evils of the Labour Party. It's tiresome.

I haven't agreed with everything the new government has done, but the more this catastrophising goes on the more I am pleased that they are being strong and refusing to cave in to the disinformation and threats of those who are determined to thwart their attempts to create a more equal society.

That's good Casdon. It wasn't explained properly this morning on the programme that I watched. I still don't like Starmer and Rayner though!

All part of a nasty political game from certain parts of the press to scaremonger. (I see it was in the Telegraph, GB news, and Talk Radio)
Be careful on getting information based on speculation. It was discussed by Sunak for example and at the time turned down but where was the press outrage on those discussions.

Ilovecheese

He should regret not removing the 2 child benefit cap. A Labour party that refuses to help poorer children is not a Labour party. He should be very regretful and ashamed.

It would cost shedloads to do this, as the risk of seemingly heartless, (I’m not and worked in many jobcentres with very large families) should those already out of work choose to extend their families?

There are many benefits already for those with children, nursery places, infant school meals, some free breakfast clubs and child benefit.

I’m utterly torn, to be honest, over this policy.

Doodledog

I can't see the harm in having a conversation about it. It used to be the case that (for women) free prescriptions kicked in at retirement age, when their income fell. Now that retirement age has risen, perhaps that link no longer applies.

If research shows that because the over 60s are more likely to have multiple conditions that mean that paying for prescriptions would disadvantage them, however, then there is a good reason to keep the age as it is.

Refusing to discuss things like this is very short sighted, but lately as soon as something is even mentioned, never mind properly debated, there are those running about like Chicken Licken making all sorts of pronouncements about the evils of the Labour Party. It's tiresome.

I haven't agreed with everything the new government has done, but the more this catastrophising goes on the more I am pleased that they are being strong and refusing to cave in to the disinformation and threats of those who are determined to thwart their attempts to create a more equal society.

We should always be open to discussing anything, what isn’t acceptable is deliberate misinformation.

Talking about catastrophising and going back to the OP about freezing this Christmas, can I ask if people are doing their sums to see what their winter energy bill will actually be?

When I look at my own energy bills compared to what I was paying at the height of the energy crisis (but getting help through the EBSS and boosted WFP) the current bill is not much more than I was paying before the energy crisis.

As I have posted elsewhere, I do strongly believe in universal benefits and was as annoyed as most people about the sudden removal of WFP - not least as I had to wait until 66 for my State Pension and therefore another six years to get the fuel payment (and my bus pass). However, what’s done is done and I’ve now lost £200 a year.

I’m a widow and live alone in a large open-plan detached house. I heat the whole house by gas boiler which also provides hot water. I could shut off spare bed rooms and not heat them but I’d rather the rooms didn’t get damp. Everything else runs on electricity. In warmer months, putting the boiler on for 15 minutes gives me enough hot water for a shower and for the rest of the day.

I keep a spreadsheet to record my costs. January is always my most expensive month. I have just had my January 2025 bill. For comparison this is what I have paid.

January 2022 £127.51
January 2023 £282.60 (after £66 from the EBSS I paid £216.60)
January 2024 £187.07
January 2025 £148.87

Pensioners also had a £300 boost to the WFP for the winters of 2022/3 and 2023/24.

Compared to four years ago, before the energy crisis, my January bill is now just over £20 more a month or £5 a week.

I took Martin Lewis's advice and fixed just before the October 2024 price rise. Before that my annual costs were estimated at £1,260 - which included an expected October rise of 13%. In the end the rise was 10% but I avoided that by fixing which means I have also avoided the January 2025 rise and am protected until next autumn.

Now my estimated annual cost is £1,060 (£600 gas and £460 electricity) - £200 lower than the previous estimate - coincidentally the same amount as the lost WFP.

I don’t receive full state pension as I have contracted-out deductions. Even though I was born after 5 April 1953, it’s calculated under the old basic state pension rules. In the last four years it has increased by just under £40 a week and will go up by just over £8 a week in April 2025. I pay tax on that as I have other income but it’s still a net rise of over £38 a week out of which I am paying £5 more for energy for the more expensive month of the year. The boosted WFP in 2022 and 2023 more than covered my additional costs during the crisis.

Of course, other bills that have to be met have gone up too but I don’t think a £5 a week rise in winter energy costs in four years is bad at all.

Flittermouse Your personal circumstances are just that, personal. Your large open plan detached home January bill (which as we're only early January is mostly for December usage) is £80 cheaper than my tiny end of terrace cottage bill of 30th December. My estimated annual cost is over £600 more than yours. While I can be pleased for you, your experience doesn't replicate mine at all. I was sad to lose the WFA but it hasn't impacted on my ability to heat my home, and I recognise how fortunate I am to be in that position. I generally find January to be the most fuel expensive month, and that bill won't come until the end of the month.

Martin Lewis's advice was fine for those that weren't still locked into previous plans, but one size does not fit all.

I agree Rosie, everyone’s circumstances are personal to them. Our houses, the temperature we prefer to maintain if we can, and our cooking habits are all different. My experience is very different from Flittermouse’s. I have only electricity. The only alternative for heating would be oil as there is no gas supply here. My December bill was horrendous and certainly way more than that for December 2023. No help with fuel bills this winter though. I’m fortunate that I can afford to keep warm. So many can’t. I doubt FlitterMouse’s experience is typical unless she is extremely economical with her use of fuel.

We are all different, but on average prices are less than they were last year or the year before. Here is the evidence.
commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9491/