Petition for Winter Fuel Payments for Sick and Disabled

margaretclare

If their income exceeds £214.90, then benefits should be removed completely.

But you can't do that to a benefit which is disability-based and not income-based, not means-testable in other words.

To give a couple £550'ish a week is far far too much, and beyond what normal people would need to live on.

And what gives you the right to dictate what is 'far far too much', and how do you define 'normal people', anyway?

We live pretty simply, not in a huge house, don't have expensive habits or hobbies, don't smoke, drink or gamble. At the same time we live fairly comfortably, a standard of living that couldn't have been dreamed about by either of our grandparents. But it's our business what we do, how we live, where we go, what we do. And we help people as and when we can, not the big well-known well-advertised charities, but often smaller charities and closer to home. I give a prize annually to a Midlands university in memory of my late daughter and they invite us each year as VIPs to the annual Presentation Day. Nice of them, and it's a lovely occasion. My mum would never have believed that I was sitting at table with the Lord Lieutenant of the county, the Dean of Faculty and the Dean of the cathedral and joining in a conversation with them. She'd have felt she had to curtsey or something. We've come a long way, but we worked for it. What we expect as a standard of living now is far different from what we grew up with. Does that make us 'normal people', or not?

rotoguys

margaretclare wrote: »

Different. It was the opposite of what was expected of me. I had to struggle for it, that's why I appreciate it a lot more.

So did I!! I knew what I wanted to do but my parents had other ideas!

So to appease them I ended up in uni got my degree and qualified three years later.

Having done that for them, I was then able to do what I wanted for myself.

I hated the profession - it was just a 'money making machine'!

I was more happier going along in my way, doing a bit of this and a bit of that, with music always being there if I wanted to earn a bob or two.

It makes me smile that I must be one of the few qualified professionals that has to live on Pension Credit!!! Better that than a lifetime of working for the wealthy to male them even richer!!

teajug

C_Mababejive wrote: »

I would have all winter fuel payments withdrawn and subjected to means testing so I shall not be clicking.

It should be subject to income and people who pay the higher rate of tax should not get any kind of benefits.

It is a universal benefit and I do not think that a couple who has won 10 million the lottry and still will not give up their DLA they say that they are entitled to...how greedy is that when young disabled people are going without.

rotoguys

teajug wrote: »

It should be subject to income and people who pay the higher rate of tax should not get any kind of benefits.

It is a universal benefit and I do not think that a couple who has won 10 million the lottry and still will not give up their DLA they say that they are entitled to...how greedy is that when young disabled people are going without.

Absolutely and if that case isn't the prime excuse that the government need to means test ALL benefits and handouts - nothing else is!

I have said it before and I'll keep on saying it. There is something very wrong going on in this country when we have the highest levels in all western countries of sickness and disabilities.

I just cannot believe that we are any different than Germany, Sweden etc

krisskross

rotoguys wrote: »

By the way, I didn't squander my life either. Not only have I had an university education but I also hold a professional qualification.

I must admit I never used them to any extent preferring to have a more simpler life than one that was just a 'money making machine'.

I would have to disagree on the squandering the life bit as you say you have a degree AND a professional qualification yet still with all this education didn't manage to sort out any pension provision.

You really do spout a load of bulls**t.

I think you must be up there as the biggest fabricator on MSE.

margaretclare

krisskross wrote: »

I would have to disagree on the squandering the life bit as you say you have a degree AND a professional qualification yet still with all this education didn't manage to sort out any pension provision.

You really do spout a load of bulls**t.

I think you must be up there as the biggest fabricator on MSE.

He probably 'did his own thing' as they said back in the 60s. They thought they'd never grow old and need any money to live in reasonable comfort. 'We'd sing and dance for ever and a day...'

By contrast, I grew up in poverty - the kind of poverty that isn't seen now because there were no benefits at all. I was in poverty in my youth and then again in widowhood. It's not a nice place to be. Not somewhere I would stay if I had any say in the matter at all. Nowadays DH and I do pretty well because we've joined forces. I've never wanted to be supported by any man and the choices I made years ago ensure that I don't have to be.

Krisskross, I think I'll change my mind about WFP (disapproving of it). I can put it to very good use, so bring it on.

DH has just paid for a car service and a new tyre - we hit a piece of metal in the road and ruined a rear tyre coming back from the funeral on Tuesday. These are all part of the expenses of 'keeping us mobile'.

krisskross

margaretclare wrote: »

He probably 'did his own thing' as they said back in the 60s. They thought they'd never grow old and need any money to live in reasonable comfort. 'We'd sing and dance for ever and a day...'

By contrast, I grew up in poverty - the kind of poverty that isn't seen now because there were no benefits at all. I was in poverty in my youth and then again in widowhood. It's not a nice place to be. Not somewhere I would stay if I had any say in the matter at all. Nowadays DH and I do pretty well because we've joined forces. I've never wanted to be supported by any man and the choices I made years ago ensure that I don't have to be.

Krisskross, I think I'll change my mind about WFP (disapproving of it). I can put it to very good use, so bring it on.

DH has just paid for a car service and a new tyre - we hit a piece of metal in the road and ruined a rear tyre coming back from the funeral on Tuesday. These are all part of the expenses of 'keeping us mobile'.

Very true words there. My husband was brought up in London during the blitz and post war and the grinding poverty he and his mother endured would make you cry. Think of Call the Midwife and his life was worse. He never had underwear or a toothbrush until he was conscripted at 18.

We were very poor as young married with a family but still managed to make decent provision for our retirement.

We have roughly the same income as rotoguys says he has but it is ours by right. We need show our bank details to no one, do not have to worry about benefit cuts. No forms to fill in, no pleading poverty.

We have a lovely life, several holidays a year, are warm and cosy and have enough to eat. What more could we ask?

margaretclare

We have roughly the same income as rotoguys says he has but it is ours by right. We need show our bank details to no one, do not have to worry about benefit cuts. No forms to fill in, no pleading poverty.

This is all hugely important. It's the feeling of independence, of having done it from your own efforts, it is so valuable. I don't even mind still paying a bit of tax. I'd far rather do that than to be looking over my shoulder all the time wondering if someone was going to come after me and say 'you can't have that'.

Rotoguys seems to know what DH and I have in terms of our combined income. I don't add it all up. I know that DH has S2P, what was SERPS, plus his annuity, but I don't bother to ask how much. We get money from different sources, we share expenses, we're still saving. Holidays - we've decided that this year we're going for long weekends/short breaks rather than a big holiday. There are so many lovely places closer to home that we haven't seen yet. The main thing for us is that anywhere we go has to be easily accessible, parking, a lift, a walk-in shower.