MSE News: Households to get £400 boost to help with rising energy bills

Mobtr

Maskface said:

Rishi Sunak has said cost of living support delivering hundreds of pounds to every household will have a "minimal impact" on inflation - and suggested those who do not need it could give the money to charity.


Would it not make more sense to just not give it to those who don't need it? Or is that far too obvious?

Not everyone who is on benefits really need it. By that I mean pensioners. My parents live in sheltered accommodation & are on pension credit. Because if this they pay minimal rent & no council tax. The gas is included in rent/service charge so just pay electric which is about £30 per month. They will qualify for about £1400 worth of help. My son & his partner have a 4 year old, both work on just over minimal wage & don’t qualify for any benefits, their gas & electric is changing to £190 p/m they get £400. They need the money a lot more than my parents do & I’m sure there will be a lot more in both of these situations 

Maskface

Mobtr said:

Maskface said:

Rishi Sunak has said cost of living support delivering hundreds of pounds to every household will have a "minimal impact" on inflation - and suggested those who do not need it could give the money to charity.


Would it not make more sense to just not give it to those who don't need it? Or is that far too obvious?

Not everyone who is on benefits really need it. By that I mean pensioners. My parents live in sheltered accommodation & are on pension credit. Because if this they pay minimal rent & no council tax. The gas is included in rent/service charge so just pay electric which is about £30 per month. They will qualify for about £1400 worth of help. My son & his partner have a 4 year old, both work on just over minimal wage & don’t qualify for any benefits, their gas & electric is changing to £190 p/m they get £400. They need the money a lot more than my parents do & I’m sure there will be a lot more in both of these situations 

It just doesn't seem the best way to distribute it. But then I wonder how many wealthy pensioners who don't need the winter fuel payment donate it?

Mstty

Controversial here it goes barring all the other amounts offered the £400 could have only gone to council tax Bands A-D as I still believe people in band E and above have choices they can make to downsize from a larger property where they would save on Council Tax, running costs and more. They choices than the lower bands.

We are a Band E and we have choices, tough choices to make but we have them.

Xbigman

The best way would be to only give money to those who need it. Now define who that is? And make that definition in the next few weeks, list those that need the money in a few weeks more and set up a way of administering this scheme in a few weeks on top. Say 2 months for the whole thing.  
Its not going to happen.

In reality a simple system of bulk payments to various groups based on perceived need is the only way of getting the most help to the most people as quickly and cheaply as possible. Its not truly fair but its the fairest way of going about this. 



Darren

Mobtr

Xbigman said:

The best way would be to only give money to those who need it. Now define who that is? And make that definition in the next few weeks, list those that need the money in a few weeks more and set up a way of administering this scheme in a few weeks on top. Say 2 months for the whole thing.  
Its not going to happen.

In reality a simple system of bulk payments to various groups based on perceived need is the only way of getting the most help to the most people as quickly and cheaply as possible. Its not truly fair but its the fairest way of going about this. 



Darren

Totally agree, it would take too long to figure out who needs it most & probably cost more. Like all things, there are winners & losers & no amount of moaning about who get what & who needs it more us going to change that. 

femalemonarchfemalecanine

Mobtr said:

Maskface said:

Rishi Sunak has said cost of living support delivering hundreds of pounds to every household will have a "minimal impact" on inflation - and suggested those who do not need it could give the money to charity.


Would it not make more sense to just not give it to those who don't need it? Or is that far too obvious?

Not everyone who is on benefits really need it. By that I mean pensioners. My parents live in sheltered accommodation & are on pension credit. Because if this they pay minimal rent & no council tax. The gas is included in rent/service charge so just pay electric which is about £30 per month. They will qualify for about £1400 worth of help. My son & his partner have a 4 year old, both work on just over minimal wage & don’t qualify for any benefits, their gas & electric is changing to £190 p/m they get £400. They need the money a lot more than my parents do & I’m sure there will be a lot more in both of these situations 

your parents could redistribute it to their grandson?

Mobtr

femalemonarchfemalecanine said:

Mobtr said:

Maskface said:

Rishi Sunak has said cost of living support delivering hundreds of pounds to every household will have a "minimal impact" on inflation - and suggested those who do not need it could give the money to charity.


Would it not make more sense to just not give it to those who don't need it? Or is that far too obvious?

Not everyone who is on benefits really need it. By that I mean pensioners. My parents live in sheltered accommodation & are on pension credit. Because if this they pay minimal rent & no council tax. The gas is included in rent/service charge so just pay electric which is about £30 per month. They will qualify for about £1400 worth of help. My son & his partner have a 4 year old, both work on just over minimal wage & don’t qualify for any benefits, their gas & electric is changing to £190 p/m they get £400. They need the money a lot more than my parents do & I’m sure there will be a lot more in both of these situations 

your parents could redistribute it to their grandson?

femalemonarchfemalecanine said:

Mobtr said:

Maskface said:

Rishi Sunak has said cost of living support delivering hundreds of pounds to every household will have a "minimal impact" on inflation - and suggested those who do not need it could give the money to charity.


Would it not make more sense to just not give it to those who don't need it? Or is that far too obvious?

Not everyone who is on benefits really need it. By that I mean pensioners. My parents live in sheltered accommodation & are on pension credit. Because if this they pay minimal rent & no council tax. The gas is included in rent/service charge so just pay electric which is about £30 per month. They will qualify for about £1400 worth of help. My son & his partner have a 4 year old, both work on just over minimal wage & don’t qualify for any benefits, their gas & electric is changing to £190 p/m they get £400. They need the money a lot more than my parents do & I’m sure there will be a lot more in both of these situations 

your parents could redistribute it to their grandson?

Absolutely and they probably will. I was just highlighting how not all pensioners need this & how younger people probably do. My FIL will probably only get the £400 + the extra fuel allowance as he has a small private pension that takes him just over the threshold for pension credit, he gets a little housing & council tax benefit but still pays over £250 month rent & £1000 year council tax + gas & electric so lot worse off than my parents but will qualify for a lot less 

DrChrisE

Hi,
Will those who receive Council Tax Reduction (a means tested benefit) get the energy grants?
Thanks

Mstty

DrChrisE said:

Hi,
Will those who receive Council Tax Reduction (a means tested benefit) get the energy grants?
Thanks

Everyone gets the £400 regardless so that's every electricity paying customer in the country.

Mstty

Don't forget the politicians with multiple homes all getting multiple £400 payments....not just limited to politicians but I suspect we will see a mass of "donating this to charity announcements"