Help with heating costs?

zzzLazyDaisy

I have always thought that disabled people should get winter fuel payments.

The (supposed) reason that retired people get the winter fuel payment is because they need help to heat their homes, and old people are at risk of illness or even death if they don't keep warm. All well and good - but ALL people over 60 get the winter fuel payment, regardless of their income or their needs.

My ex got the WFP when we were together even though, at that time, I was a high earner, and he was retired on a generous final salary scheme. My mum got it even though she was in long term care, and her care home fees were paid for her - although admitedly she 'only' got half the payment because there was another adult living with her - actually there were about 30 other adults living with her.

Disabled people often cannot move around as much, and many have conditions that make them susceptible to the cold. Also, a lot of disabled people can't work, so that means they have to heat the home all day.

The pension service says the reason disabled people don't get help with heating is beacuse that is included in disability benefits - but disabled elderly get attendance allowance, so surely the same logic applies (just to be clear, I don't begrudge them the attandance allowance OR the WFP, I'm just pointing out the inconsistency in the argument).

Fuel bills have gone up so much in the past 12 months, I am really scared of the cost of heating this winter - yet DLA/IB went up by pennies, nowhere near enough to cover the increased heating bills. I can't cut down on heating, I'd be really ill, and in hospital in no time. But there are only so many other things I can cut down on so that heating can take priority.

So yes, I agree....

(I'll get down from my soap box now....)

calleyw

swecri wrote: »

Do people think it is fair to ask the Government for help with the cost of heating bills? When there is a significant risk to health otherwise? Because I have posted this on another forum and the general attitude seems to be that 'its not the governments responsibility to keep me warm??!' I was a little surprise, considering I don't have the heating on, inevitably become quite ill, and then wind up in hospital having steroids, lung function tests, and illoprost. All of which are not cheap for the nhs

But then life ain't fair. But do understand where you are coming from my husband has had a stroke and has life long auto-immune disease he was only 44 and will never work again. He needs to keep warm as he does not move about much. He has thermals to keep out the cold. And we live on a mixture of part time wages and DLA/IB.

Just to check are you claiming DLA. If so you should be able to get free insulation for your home. We had cavity wall and roof insulation done for free. That helps a bit.

All the best.

Yours


Calley

zzzLazyDaisy

Hi yes I do get DLA, and my home is as insulated as it can be. But it is a bungalow (I can't manage stairs) so I have to heat the whole house as my bedroom and bathroom don't get the benefit of heat rising from downstairs.

It is simply a case of me being very susceptible to the cold, and not being able to move around a lot to keep warm, so I have to keep the heating on when other people might put a jumper on and turn it down a notch (I'm already wearing layers and huddled under a fleecy blanket). In fact a lot of the time I stay in bed to keep warm - but that isn't good for morale or self esteem.

I'm not saying I'm any worse off than anyone else, I'm just saying that heating bills have gone up enormously and benefits haven't kept pace, but for many disabled people turning the heating down a few degrees and putting an extra jumper on isn't always an answer to rising bills. If I get ill(er) through not managing my condition properly - which includes keeping a steady consistent temperature - I'll end up in hospital costing the state ££££'s. It just seems short-sighted to me, that's all.

swecri

The (supposed) reason that retired people get the winter fuel payment is because they need help to heat their homes, and old people are at risk of illness or even death if they don't keep warm. All well and good - but ALL people over 60 get the winter fuel payment, regardless of their income or their needs.

I agree, the system is so so inconsistant! My Grandparents are wonderful and so so understanding. They always worry about my health and they agree that they feel it is wrong they get a !!!!!! despite the fact their disposable income is double what mine and my partners is.

What I don't quite understand is how the system / cleaver people at No 10 can't realise that it costs them more because sooooo many people end up in hospital during the cold winter, and while I know that often this is the elderly / over 60's a lot of the time, I would really be interested in seeing the figures for poorly or disabled people being admitted into hospital due to poor heating.

Whats more, I am luckey enough to be able to manage to work when I am well, and have a steady, full time permenant job and while I'm ill in hospital I'm not working....and THEN not paying my taxes. So the system looses out again!!!

calleyw

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

Hi yes I do get DLA, and my home is as insulated as it can be. But it is a bungalow (I can't manage stairs) so I have to heat the whole house as my bedroom and bathroom don't get the benefit of heat rising from downstairs.

It is simply a case of me being very susceptible to the cold, and not being able to move around a lot to keep warm, so I have to keep the heating on when other people might put a jumper on and turn it down a notch (I'm already wearing layers and huddled under a fleecy blanket). In fact a lot of the time I stay in bed to keep warm - but that isn't good for morale or self esteem.

I'm not saying I'm any worse off than anyone else, I'm just saying that heating bills have gone up enormously and benefits haven't kept pace, but for many disabled people turning the heating down a few degrees and putting an extra jumper on isn't always an answer to rising bills. If I get ill(er) through not managing my condition properly - which includes keeping a steady consistent temperature - I'll end up in hospital costing the state ££££'s. It just seems short-sighted to me, that's all.

Lazy Daisy,

I do agree with you totally.

My husband due to his auto-immune disease needs to keep warm to keep his blood vessels open. He spends most of his time at home. So I always tell him if you need the heating on put it on and don't worry about the cost.

But I don't think a winter fuel allowance for the disabled will ever happen.

Disabled people get the rough end of the deal. I have had to cut my hours back at work due to me not feeling my husband is safe at home. So we live on part time wages and my husbands DLA/IB with no extra help. He takes 5 different tablets a day he does not get free prescriptions so have to have a PPC at nearly a £100 a year.

But hey ho such is life fair or not.

Yours


Calley

swecri

I have Lupus SLE, Raynaud's and Scleroderma. And every year I have to have lung function tests during the winter time, and everyyear the results show that there is more and more fibrosis in my lungs as a result of my body not being warm enough.
I am angry to hear that other people suffer too, and that the government doesn't help others either despite a significant risk to peoples health / life!!

I am tempted to go into full campaign mode!! Anyone care to join me?!?!?

swecri

calleyw wrote: »

Lazy Daisy,


So we live on part time wages and my husbands DLA/IB with no extra help. He takes 5 different tablets a day he does not get free prescriptions so have to have a PPC at nearly a £100 a year.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1230841

you may be able to apply for 'free prescriptions' on the NHS through the medical exemption scheme. I take 17 pills a day and just couldn't afford it, so I applied for a medical exemption certificate and had one issued...It was such a relief!

pipkin71

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

Thanks for this Information Officer.

Can I just clarify the N-power discount. I read that this isn't a £125 cash reduction on your bill, but £125 off the standard rate tariff, so that if you are on a cheaper on-line tariff, the actual cash discount received by the customer is quite a bit less than £125.

Is this correct? Any further info would be really useful.

Many thanks

Hi LD, yes the spreading warmth discount only applies if you are on the standard tariff.

Your bill will be credited with £125 in January, then spread out each quarter - so £31.25 in April, July, October, January.

If you have both gas and electric with Npower, and you're on the standard tariff, it's £125 for each fuel, so a total of £250.

Pipkin xxxx

chelleybelley

wondering if anyone has had this happen to them and what to expect.... i sent off my renewal forms for the dla on the 22.09.08 which i recieved a letter back from them 2 wks later to say they received.2 wks ago i had a phone call from them to say that the forms had gone "adrift" i told them that i was not very impressed because as we all no these forms can take hours to fill out so after having my 2 minutes of ranting down the phone i agreed to fill in the forms again.. they said that the forms would be sent out first class that day and to expect them on the tues.on tues no forms so i rang them and they said that as i had "refused" to fill them out that they would arrange for a gp to visit me...... at which point i had stated i had never refused to fill out the forms and that the man the day b4 must have got it wrong.... so the team leader said she would send out the forms that day again....wed still no forms:mad: so again i rang them with a promise they would be there by the end of the wk.... i left it until the mon...still no forms so rang them again and this time recieved the forms on the tues..have filled them out returned them recorded delivery and today i recieved a call from a gp to say they would be doing a home visit on wed i explained that i had filled out the forms as she stated that the reason for this visit is because i have refused to fill out the forms gggrrrr...ok well pointless me doing forms and sending them off but what can i expect from her visit on wed??have looked up some things on net and it says gps will snoop around your house looking for things (not sure what) or that a visit can be damaging to ur renewal has anyone had a medical visit at home and if so how helpful we're they and what will happen...?

mspig

The thing with winter fuel payments is that everyone over the age of 60 gets it which you may say is good, but my inlaws moved to Spain, and they can still get theirs eventhough they don't need their heating on and they don't live in Britain anymore. Madness if you ask me.

I understand about some people with certain illnessess should get the winter fuel payment though as some are dealing with illnessess that need to be kept warm, which inturn costs them a hell of a lot to heat their houses.