Tories plan benefit cuts for pensioners

I am definitely not a Conservative supporter but have thought for many years that the Christmas Bonus is a joke ,does little to help anyone,and the money could be better spent on other things that are needed.
I personally don't need the Fuel allowance but know people who do .I use my allowance to buy food for Food Banks hoping it may bring a bit of Christmas cheer to those less well off than me.

I believe the triple lock should go

Or else it should apply across the board

I’m just hoping against hope that the bus pass doesn’t go before I finally make 66 in a couple of months. I’ve heard it’s cost effective anyway, bringing more to the economy than it costs, but they might just look at short term gain.

Not that I’m going anywhere on the bus right now.

I agree the bonus is a joke but I live in a part of Scotland where it gets very cold and many people have to decide whether to put on heating and go without food .Thats WITH the fuel allowance so taking it away will cause real hardship.

I can see where people are coming from but not all pensioners are 'comfortably off'. I don't need the fuel allowance or Christmas bonus ...but I am fortunate to still have my dh alive and well with me with both his own state pension and occupational pension. Two pensions ...or in our case four as I have a very small ocupational pension ...supporting one household, is very different to households where people have lost their life partners. Same utilities ext but only one pension. The problem is, that once a benefit is taken away ...and that includes triple lock ...it is never given back and some who need it would suffer. I would keep triple lock but only give the heating allowance and Christmas bonus to some pensioners. Maybe means test or only to single person pensioner households. Of course some single households could also be very wealthy and not need it, but this would at least cut out double income households which don't need it. I would also charge a nominal amount for bus passes ...maybe £10 a year. This would help local authorities with ever decreasing budgets but at less than a £1 per month shouldn't prevent any retired people who need it using public transport.

I resent the heating allowance being given to pensioners who have retired to hot countries.

We should increase pension credit and give WFA to those on OC

OC =PC

We don't get the heating allowance in France Sparklefizz That's hardly a hot country. There is a temperature baseline applied so people retired to hot countries don't get the allowance.. I accept there have to be compromises.

I honestly cannot see why only pensioners benefit from the triple lick and not disabled people or those on UC. I think all benefits should be increased in the same way whichever way that is. Why not?

Triple lick ?

The Christmas bonus is ridiculous as for the heating allowance for people in hot countries, it does get cold in Spain, and very hot in summer . We paid the same as you why shouldn't we benefit ?

I have said, on here, for years that free prescriptions, tv licences, bus passes and WFP are ridiculous across the board and should only be available to people on pension credit or other types of benefit..

People with sufficient money should buy a prescription subscription, pay a nominal sum for their bus passes etc.

IMO any benefits given to pensioners should be means tested. Let those who need it receive it.

His reasoning is they'll probably be dead before the next election and if their not they wont remember who made the cuts Did he actually say this Paddyanne?

I agree that there are pensioners who are very comfortable with more disposable income than many younger disabled people or families and these people do not need winter fuel allowance or other extras.
The problem lies with deciding who does need these things. If it is limited to those on Pension Credit, many single pensioners with incomes just above will struggle. I like 52bright's idea of only giving it to single pensioners.

I’ve only just become eligible for my SP.
I’d be happy for the triple lock to be removed as Covid has decimated so many incomes, we should show solidarity and take a hit too. In my opinion.

Well according to what I have just read, it was Alex Wild Director of the Tax Payer alliance who said this. Fox was at a the same fringe meeting and said the Gov. should take the opportunity where there is a weak opposition, to push through unpopular decisions.

You have attributed that appalling statement to the person who made it ie Alex Wild.

You should have attributed ...........

Sparklefizz

I resent the heating allowance being given to pensioners who have retired to hot countries.

It isn't. My heating allowance was removed when I moved to France 10 years ago. And it gets bl...dy cold here in the winter.

We are financially ok because of decent pensions, savings and were fortunate to inherit half a small house when parents in law died. WE paid tax like everyone else all our working lives and we still do of course. We don't need the bus pass, or the winter fuel allowance. We donate more than the cost of that to our local charity, works closely with people of all ages who are in need.
Ive read that means testing costs more than it would save. I'd be happy to lose the fuel allowance etc but equally, with tax and donations to charity we more than make up what we're given.

People in Spain do not get the heating allowance. When the government was working out which expats would get the allowance in which countries they did this by setting an average winter temperature. Expats in countries below this temperature would get the allowance. When they worked out the temperature in Spain they included the Canaries in their calculations which brought the temperature in Spain up above the threshold.

Spain can be absolutely freezing in Winter. We certainly spent a lot more on heating in Spain than we do here in the UK.

I also agree with another poster who said expats have contributed throughout their lives in the same way as everyone else and should receive the same benefits.

People who have moved abroad aren't contributing to the economy of this country.

said Fox on the report I read