MSE News: Warm Home Discount to be extended to low-income families

matelodave

pugsley29 wrote: »

People are now paying council tax and bedroom tax out of benefits which are worked out at the minimum people can live on and then taxed to take them below that. Some would love to move but cannot afford to, grants are available if you pay upfront and claim back but hardly anyone can afford to pay up front, so catch 22.

If some people are playing the system there are lots that are not and struggling.

No such thing as a bedroom tax. Why should the rest of us pay for accommodation that we ourselves cannot afford.

Anyone renting in the private sector has only had housing benefit that reflect their accommodation needs rather than wants for years (brought in by Labour), this was applied to social housing to bring it into line.

Benefits are there as a life line not a way of life and remember for someone to get a benefit someone else has to earn enough to pay for two families, his own and the one on benefit.

Council tax is the same, it would be lower if everyone paid it rather than the rest of us subsidising those who don't - we'd all be better of then

Whatever anyone say it doesn't come form the government or out of the sky it comes from others who have to work twice as hard or pay twice as much

Yorkshire_Pud

Nada666 wrote: »

Disgusting. As usual, it is only those who already receive additional funds who qualify for help. If you don't really need it you get it. If you do, you don't.

Too right, well said. Its just become another means tested benefit.

For an Additional 70,000 households to become eligible read a lot MORE than 70,000 people/households will NO LONGER qualify for the WH discount.

Add to that the 'current' ahem govts sophistry of no rise from £140 next Winter because of all the additional people who will supposedly qualify to pay for it even though more than that will no longer qualify, those on low income but not claiming benefits. Result the govt. saves money, by pretending to give more money away.

Your either on benefits or you are not seems to be the way things are going, nothing for the low income people or families scrimping and maybe even saving occasionally.

As for the Warm Home Discount bashers in this thread, your bitter twisted mean minded and greedy!:o

P.S. How long before you need to be receiving tax credits to qualify for a free Waitrose tea or coffee?!:D

Beki88

I feel things like this punish those people who, like my family, are trying to make our lives better.
My Husband has a low paid job but is also at college trying to get better qualifications, I am a carer for my Autistic Son and because I am a carer I can only work part time - or I would lose my carers allowance! Yet even though we are both on low incomes and have a disabled child, we marginally scrape over the earnings limit by a few quid a year and we are not eligible.
If I stopped working we would get it!
It's not just the discount though, by me earning a measly £100 a week we lost free school meals, free prescriptions (for the adults), working tax etc.
Don't get me wrong I am proud that I am providing for my family but as someone said "nothing for the low income people or families scrimping".
Separate issue but whilst I am ranting - being a carer means you can only earn £102 a week or you lose your carers allowance. To be eligible for SSP should you fall sick you need to earn an average of £109 per week... think about that one!

sax11

Excellent but takes the mick as i don't receive working tax credit yet im below that income level , all the tax credits goto the ex even though i have the kids equally

should be means tested

Trix3y

A much fairer system would simply extend the Warm Home Discount to everyone under a certain level of income,obviously a low one. The trouble with any government schemes is that the list to whom it can apply is very precise. Just struggling to get by is not acknowledged. Even in this bitter cold weather I simply cannot afford to heat my home properly. I am not old,but neither am I young. Maybe the guy who feels angry at paying for others,should direct his anger at the energy companies who have risen prices year on year to make keeping warm a luxury!:mad:

aaroncaz

MSE_Helen wrote: »

An additional 70,000 low income and vulnerable households will be able to get a £140 discount on their electricity bill...

Read the full story:

Warm Home Discount to be extended to low-income families




Click reply below to discuss. If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.

Is this in addition to those who already qualify? I have received this for the last couple of years am in receipt of WT/CT but do not have a disabled child. I did think that it had ended this year.

Yorkshire_Pud

The old system was a cheaper tariff for those in Fuel Poverty defined as spending more than 10% of income on energy bills.

This government has now changed it to a Means Tested Benefit with its 2015/16 standard criteria across energy firms, low income is no longer enough to qualify in itself, applicants need to receive certain benefits to qualify for the Broader Group.

Its just another way to screw the low income strugglers who aren't claiming income related benefits.

anotherproblem

Every year my partner and I freeze our socks off. We are sick and tired of living like this. I swear one day some one will find us both dead from the cold. We are both retired and made the mistake of working all our lives. NO BENEFITS FOR US!!! we are the silly devils that worked to pay for everyone else to benefit from the state. :mad: So for all out there that have the luxury of free or reduced price heating and help toward bills - enjoy. Because every bit of benefit you get is gained from donkeys like us. If I had my time again I would sit on my backside and do nothing that way I would be able to switch the heating on instead of sitting with a coat on and and a blanket - what a luxury that would be.

matelodave

I agree, the system appears to be geared towards those who've done nothing rather than those who tried to do the right thing, worked hard and got just about enough to keep them above benefit level.

They are the ones who are treading water and slowly sinking whilst those who qualify, usually by not contributing anything at all, get all the benefits plus the extras.

It does seem that the more you try the less you get and the less you try the more you benefit - there's definitely something wrong.

Yorkshire_Pud

anotherproblem wrote: »

Every year my partner and I freeze our socks off. We are sick and tired of living like this. I swear one day some one will find us both dead from the cold. We are both retired and made the mistake of working all our lives. NO BENEFITS FOR US!!! we are the silly devils that worked to pay for everyone else to benefit from the state. :mad: So for all out there that have the luxury of free or reduced price heating and help toward bills - enjoy. Because every bit of benefit you get is gained from donkeys like us. If I had my time again I would sit on my backside and do nothing that way I would be able to switch the heating on instead of sitting with a coat on and and a blanket - what a luxury that would be.

I hope you are getting the £200 Winter Fuel Allowance from the government that all those over 62 are eligible for?!;)