Wealthy pensioners asked to donate winter fuel payments

wotsthat

MrRee wrote: »

I have paid taxes for over 60 years, and still do - do you not think I am entitled to a little help to heat?

OK, I appreciate that an eyebrow may have been raised to think that it goes towards my swimming pool running costs - but, tough.

No. Swim faster if you want to keep warm.

Jimmy_31

MrRee wrote: »

I pay tax and get some back in WFP, I cannot see the problem myself.

I may not need it, and I don't, but I give to charities anyway.

I have paid taxes for over 60 years, and still do - do you not think I am entitled to a little help to heat?

OK, I appreciate that an eyebrow may have been raised to think that it goes towards my swimming pool running costs - but, tough.

Ahhh you live in sheltered accomodation.

Do you get taken to your swimming pool once a week.

I also keep my swimming pool at the local swimming pool:)

datostar

Jennifer_Jane wrote: »

But don't forget that the wealthier pensioners (over £24,000) get penalised anyway. It's a long time since I dealt with any tax issues, so am prepared to be shot down in flames - but for ages now, people over 75 have had a tax penalty.

As Graham says: "All they have done is had a set amount of birthdays" and get an income over £24,000, and they get penalised.

They lose the age-related tax allowances and at a net income of £27,000 or thereabouts lose it completely, so a 65yr old in that situation would pay £700 or so extra tax, more thenl compensating for his or her WFA and providing a subsidy on top for the poor which no doubt the Government makes sure reaches them!

datostar

atush wrote: »

What a great idea. will they get a tax break ie for charity?

No. If money is donated to a charity participating in the Gift Aid scheme by a taxpayer, the charity can reclaim the tax paid by the donor. The taxpayer sees no benefit but the charity certainly does. An excellent scheme.

Davesnave

2010 wrote: »

Also think of the drastic fall in the supermarket booze sales if the WFP wasn`t made

Not a penny of my WFP will go on alcohol, though some of it will be spent on petrol.......................
........ for my chain saw.:D

I've been stocking up for winter 2013/14. By then, who knows, maybe a pile of logs will be of more value than than a pile of Euros.

Sapphire

wotsthat wrote: »

I'm playing devil's advocate here but what have the poorer pensioners done for that payment? They've hit an age that's all - if rich pensioners have done nothing then neither have the poor ones.

Most of them will have paid taxes throughout their working lives (40 or 50 years for some), these to fund other people's children and benefits claimants. Which I wager is far more than you have done. :cool:

mufi

datostar wrote: »

They lose the age-related tax allowances and at a net income of £27,000 or thereabouts lose it completely, so a 65yr old in that situation would pay £700 or so extra tax

Which seems fair enough - it simply puts pensioners like us on the same tax rate as everyone else, except that we don't pay NI however much we earn, a nice little bonus... So yes, we pay a higher tax rate than a pensioner with a lower income, but the same tax rate as a younger person with a mortgage, 2.4 children and all the associated expense.

We pay 40% tax and don't need the Winter Fuel Allowance; neither does anyone else we know. Try an expensive holiday out of school holidays - grey heads everywhere. Or go out to lunch in a decent restaurant - we're pretty ancient, but are usually the youngest in there.

The poor, regardless of age, need help with fuel bills.

Jennifer_Jane

mufi wrote: »

Which seems fair enough - it simply puts pensioners like us on the same tax rate as everyone else, except that we don't pay NI however much we earn, a nice little bonus... So yes, we pay a higher tax rate than a pensioner with a lower income, but the same tax rate as a younger person with a mortgage, 2.4 children and all the associated expense.

We pay 40% tax and don't need the Winter Fuel Allowance; neither does anyone else we know. Try an expensive holiday out of school holidays - grey heads everywhere. Or go out to lunch in a decent restaurant - we're pretty ancient, but are usually the youngest in there.

The poor, regardless of age, need help with fuel bills.

OK, that's you, but there are plenty of people who do need the money - and they are often the people I know at U3A; my friends also don't have money for expensive restaurants. We do eat out occasionally, but usually lunch when it's cheaper, eat cheaply, and often where there are special deals. Similarly I like to go to the cinema, but we go on Tuesdays when it's cheap, and we go for a cup of tea in a nearby restaurant.

Your anecdotes are not representative of everyone. Plenty of people who are really grateful for the WFP, thank you.

dtsazza

datostar wrote: »

No. If money is donated to a charity participating in the Gift Aid scheme by a taxpayer, the charity can reclaim the tax paid by the donor. The taxpayer sees no benefit but the charity certainly does. An excellent scheme.

Since it's a money gift, either party can see the benefit. And arguably, the benefit always goes to the taxpayer (assuming that they're savvy).

If a 20% taxpayer wants to donate £100 to a charity, he need only pay them £80, and know that they can make it up to £100 with Gift Aid. So the taxpayer benefits by saving £20 off his donation.

Of course, he could decide to give them £100 gross and know that they'll make it up to £125 with the rebate. But then this is still the same situation, the taxpayer has "bought" £125 worth of donation for only £100 outlay.


I can see where you're coming from, in that most people pay whatever they can spare and/or a predetermined gross amount to charities, so the Gift Aid element plays no part in the decisionmaking and hence is a direct boost to the charity. But if anyone has a specific target in mind, and thinks about the net effects of their donation, then they can hit that donation target at a lower cost to themselves.

[Deleted User]

I don`t see the problem really. If people are kind enough to donate then they will, if they can afford it. I donate good items to oxfam, rather than selling them on ebay. Lots of us donate, either in a direct or roundabout way and we don`t need telling by someone who wants to get their name in the papers. My winter fuel allowance will directly buy wood pellets for my stove and tbh that is no-ones business but mine

There is an awful lot of jealousy about, who cares if good restaurants are packed with oldies (not us, we take packed lunches out), they make employment for people. Time to live and let live as being bitter only shortens your life