MSE News: Winter fuel payments cut for those in hot countries

wakeupalarm

matelodave wrote: »

I dont see why the government are still faffing about with winter fuel payments. They work out at about £100 per pensioner = £2.00 a week. Why not just add it to the pension and done with. This would ensure that those who pay tax would give some back and it would only get paid when you started drawing your pension. It would save all the additional admin & postage of letters & transfers that happen in November & December as well.

It's not really a gift from the government as everyone seems to think it is - most people have earned it by paying tax & national insurance over a lifetime of work. Perhaps to make it really fair it should only go to those who have paid in or cancel it altogether for everone rather than just discriminate against those who've paid for it but choose not to live in the UK.

It's not a simple as it seems, you would think that adding it to the basic state pension would remove all of the additional admin and costs, but what about Women who paid married stamp and only get 60% state pension based on their husbands pension. They would lose out and only receive 60% equivalent of the winter fuel payment.

It would penalise everyone who didn't have a full state pension and who are probably already on low income/pension credit in the UK

Pensioners who emigrated to hot countries anywhere in the world would now qualify even if they left the UK years ago.

The result would be to penalise the poorest pensioners in the UK and to give the money to maybe richer pensioners who emigrated to hot countries. Surely, the complete opposite to its intention.

keith1950

Nobody who 'deserts' the country to live abroad should get any extra help with heating, it's their choice to go so ......goodbye !!

In fact I would go so far as to say that anyone who decides to live abroad should not have any further pension/benefit increases from the day that they leave.

Living abroad they are not contributing anything to this country so why should we all have to pay extra for their 'alternative' lifestyle ?

seven-day-weekend

keith1950 wrote: »

Nobody who 'deserts' the country to live abroad should get any extra help with heating, it's their choice to go so ......goodbye !!

In fact I would go so far as to say that anyone who decides to live abroad should not have any further pension/benefit increases from the day that they leave.

Living abroad they are not contributing anything to this country so why should we all have to pay extra for their 'alternative' lifestyle ?

Many expats still continue to pay income tax to the UK. Many still own property and pay associated taxes on that.

Means-tested Benefits are not available abroad.

keith1950

Quote:
Originally Posted by keith1950
Nobody who 'deserts' the country to live abroad should get any extra help with heating, it's their choice to go so ......goodbye !!

In fact I would go so far as to say that anyone who decides to live abroad should not have any further pension/benefit increases from the day that they leave.

Living abroad they are not contributing anything to this country so why should we all have to pay extra for their 'alternative' lifestyle ?
Many expats still continue to pay income tax to the UK. Many still own property and pay associated taxes on that.

Means-tested Benefits are not available abroad.

I meant to say they are contributing nothing to the local economy, most of the money they spend is abroad.

tpebop

why is this referred to by most people as a heating allowance.
It is the fuel allowance so in summer people is hot countries use their air con.
I paid my taxes etc for 50 years of my working life so why shouldnt I receive the fuel allowance
I live in Rhodes Greece

apt

It is a Winter Fuel Allowance. You don't need a winter fuel allowance in Rhodes. It also is being paid out of current expenditure, not past contributions, and expatriates may pay income tax, but are not contributing fully to UK taxes.

2010

But from 2015 the payments will be linked to a temperature test.

Is this the same test as they were going to do for pasties and sausage rolls, which they later abandoned.

Dunroamin

apt wrote: »

It is a Winter Fuel Allowance. You don't need a winter fuel allowance in Rhodes. It also is being paid out of current expenditure, not past contributions, and expatriates may pay income tax, but are not contributing fully to UK taxes.

People who claim pension credit get it, pay no income tax and buy goods with money given to them by the state, even if they've never worked throughout their life.