- Jul 10, 2003
- 27,945
Do you have access to a different number than Age UK?
"We strongly oppose the means-testing of the Winter Fuel Payment because it means as many as 2 million pensioners who badly need the money to stay warm this winter will not receive it and will be in serious trouble as a result."2 million out of 10 million is only 20% obviously. So 80% don't need it. Let's kick on.
2 million people. 2 million old people - poor, in many cases with health concerns of varying significance. Proud people at a stage of their lives where they really shouldn't be having to worry about whether they can afford to put the central heating on for 15 minutes when it's below freezing.
2 million people.
If the Tories did this you'd be breaking the world records for most use of the word "cabal" and sarcastic emojis in 24 hours.
Here you go for some stats
https://www.yourmoney.com/retiremen...ber-of-pensioners-paying-higher-rates-of-tax/
and this lot believe there will be more pensioners than workers in the higher tax band in a couple of years
https://www.pensionsage.com/pa/One-in-five-pensioners-to-be-brought-into-higher-rate-tax-band.php
I don't disagree with anything you've said.
As I have said a number of times, I'd like the cut off to be a bit higher but can't come up with any implementable way of doing it and have been welcoming alternative suggestions to raise a similar amount but haven't heard of any. I do think that your and my examples show that it's around the right level and maybe an appeals process could cover what is the relatively small number around the cut off that are struggling.
And if Johnson, Truss or Sunak had done this of course I would have been all over it, because we both know where the money would have gone and it wouldn't have been the NHS, the Care sector, Benefits or even Potholes