Winter fuel allowance

carolt

ThrowingStonesAtYou wrote: »

Not as clear cut I suppose but it should probably be the same for them, unless theres a scenario where you could be renting a band H property and not be able to move to a band A/B property that was cheaper that I'm not thinking of.

But your argument for this was that they were 'sitting on a half million pound of assets'.

Not if they rent, they're not. (Well, they may be sitting on it, but it belongs to someone else. :rolleyes:)

ThrowingStonesAtYou

carolt wrote: »

But your argument for this was that they were 'sitting on a half million pound of assets'.

Not if they rent, they're not. (Well, they may be sitting on it, but it belongs to someone else. :rolleyes:)

Well the point is, they can afford to pay the associated costs of living in a larger property so don't need handouts to get by. Obviously somebody who owns a half million pound property is likely to be financially better off than somebody who rents one, but the principle applies to both - they can both move somewhere cheaper to own/maintain if they need to.

ukcarper

kennyboy66 wrote: »

The most sensible idea would be to roll it in to the state pension and if necessary up the age related personal allowances a bit - as these are clawed back after a certain point it has the advantage that higher rate tax paying pensioners would then pay tax on this money.

It would cost miles less to administer / advertise etc etc.

If you can't budget at the age of 65, you are beyond hope.

I'd make child benefit taxable (or scrap it, or perhaps have a child tax allowance that can be claimed) and certainly scrap the daft child trust fund thingymajig.

Of course the downside is that it reduces the feeling of largesse that politicians enjoy.

If you give a pensioner who is getting some council benefit £5 a week most of it would come off their benefit

carolt

ThrowingStonesAtYou wrote: »

Well the point is, they can afford to pay the associated costs of living in a larger property so don't need handouts to get by. Obviously somebody who owns a half million pound property is likely to be financially better off than somebody who rents one, but the principle applies to both - they can both move somewhere cheaper to own/maintain if they need to.

Not the same all. One has huge assets, which they could sell to pay for heating, one doesn't. I would have thought that was blatantly obvious.

PasturesNew

ThrowingStonesAtYou wrote: »

In which case your house price has almost certainly gone up substantially too. It's hard to justify spending limited public resources in the form of welfare benefits on somebody sat in half a millions pounds worth (or more) of assets. There's always equity release if all else fails.

I said you're sat in your council house. Not that one owns it.

StevieJ

alared wrote: »

All I can say is when the fuel allowance is paid,probably next week, the supermarket trollies will be full of booze.

I thought is was dependent on outside temperature, it is warm at the moment
I checked it and it appears to be flat rate, I sure they get something dependent on temperature.

bryanb

StevieJ wrote: »

I thought is was dependent on outside temperature, it is warm at the moment
I checked it and it appears to be flat rate, I sure they get something dependent on temperature.

That's the Cold weather payment, different thing.
Not all get that, over 75s I think.
There are also 2 rates of Winter fuel payment, £250 under 80, I think £400 above 80 but I haven't reached that yet I'll let you know in 2022
I know I'm up late (Keeping an eye on the thermostat)

michael1983l

The trouble with living under a labour government is that they tax you to the hilt only to give it back to you. This makes no sense though because the administration involved means we lose out, why not just leave us with the money in the first place?

alared

michael1983l wrote: »

The trouble with living under a labour government is that they tax you to the hilt only to give it back to you

and every other tom,!!!!!! and harry

zygurat789

Quote:
Originally Posted by alared
All those who don`t want heating allowance needn`t claim it.

If anything should be means tested (although I`m not in favour of means testing) it should be child benefit.

tanith wrote: »

If you are getting a State Pension or certain other benefits you don't have to claim its automatically sent to the same bank account...

BEWARE NOT TRUE You do have to claim it initially thereafter it is paid automatically presumeably on the grounds you are not getting any younger.