Winter Fuel Allowance under discussion by Martin.

hugheskevi

RogerPensionGuy said:

I don't think this dynamic has been pushed enough, if the 880K people all signed up, the cold weather allowance footshooter would be adding to the black hole, plus all the extra hospital admissions and NHS workloads and call outs etc will just top up the black hole.

It is interesting to note that the total cost of Winter Fuel Payment is £1,888 million and the estimated cost of unclaimed Pension Credit in 2021/22 was that 800,000 missed out on payments totalling £1,720 million, at a median entitlement of £18 p/w (mean £41 p/w).

Taking into account inflation since 2021/22, the cost of Winter Fuel Payments are probably very close to the cost of unclaimed Pension Credit, and there are also the cost of passported benefits to take into account.

Although it is reported that up to 880,000 are not claiming, the central estimate behind that figure is 800,000 whereas 880,000 is the upper range. Also, it includes those entitled only to Savings Credit, ie, have an income above the Guarantee Credit and reached State Pension age before April 2016. The number entitled to Guarantee Credit and not claiming is estimated to be 490,000. (Source at this link).

I rather doubt the loss of a one-of payment of £200 / £300 will make a meaningful difference to hospital admissions, NHS workloads and call outs. It won't have any health impact on most pensioner households, and given the publicity it has caused around claiming Pension Credit, the policy change should significantly increase the income of some of the poorest households who claim Pension Credit as a result of the publicity and would be at most risk of adverse health impacts arising from poverty. I think it is quite possible that the policy change and resultant publicity would improve health outcomes rather than worsen them.

GibbsRule_No3.

A Law group in Scotland is pursuing a case on behalf of two couples and if they succeed it could make the Government delay the removal for a year. PPOV if I had time to prepare for the removal by introducing it next year, I would not be as unhappy as I am now. I pay by DD and would have upped my payments to take into account the £200 not being available this year. The £200 does make a difference and I am not on just over the SP limit, a year to plan food and other payments would be a great help.

MACKEM99

Nebulous2 said:

twopenny said:

Is it right that MP's get a huge alowance for utility bills while they force those barely managing to be frightened of the winter and have to seek out warm places away from home to spend their days?

I know this is dated a couple of years back but don't have time to search for current numbers. I can't believe it would go down.

https://fullfact.org/online/MPs-no-upper-limit-heating-expenses/

To me the government made the hole by their (mis)managing of the ecconomy and have done nothing to stop the prices rising other than to claw back yet more money from the vulnerable.

I'm not sure this is appropriate, but:- 

I regularly worked away from home. My employer paid my accommodation costs, and gave me an allowance towards food I bought while away. That was to ensure I wasn't out of pocket by being away. In my first such role it was a great novelty for the first few months, staying in a hotel, at somebody else's expense. After that it became boring very quickly. 

MPs aren't or shouldn't be any different. They have houses, families and bills at home, in their constituencies. Their work demands that they spend several days a week in London, sometimes hundreds of miles away. They get their expenses paid for that. 

That's the theory. In practice some gamed it, as some people in big organisations always do. That was tightened up considerably, and has independent oversight now. However they should only be refunded the additional costs of doing their work, like I and millions of other people were. 

Did you get a huge payment if and when the accommodation you were in was sold?

LHW99

Of course, there is the asect that for £1.8m (1.3, 1.4...?) million saved, one could insist thart MP's receiving freebies and gifts paid an equivalent amount into the Exchequer. That would have raised £0.7m last year, and possibly more this year........

https://inview.org.uk/news/177649-mpc_received_over_e700000_in_free_gifts_and_hospitality_last_year

....... and of course there have been loans, possibly not at commercial rates?