[Politics] The Labour Government

[BN9 BHA]

Because the millionaires receiving it are an absolute minority compared to the millions on the poverty line subsisting after a life of working and paying taxes.

That’s not a sensible answer.

 

[jcdenton08]

That’s not a sensible answer.

I believe it is a sensible answer. Please see my prior post on how some pensioners are subsisting a few pounds above the cut-off for pension credits. And tell me how they are supposed to afford heating on under £250 a week.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Incorrect. We who live in Spain (mainland that is) had the winter fuel allowance taken away by IDS some 10 years ago. And yes, it does get bloody cold here in the winter (houses are of a different construction to UK and most do not have cavity insulation). So we have both central heating (pellets) and a log fire.

Are you a full time resident in Spain?

 

[Boroseagull]

Are you a full time resident in Spain?

Yes. And a pensioner too.

 

[jcdenton08]

Can I make an observation? There are people replying who absolutely can see this is a bad course of action. And if the Tories had done this, would be foaming out of every orifice in rage. But with the shiny new Labour government, they can do no wrong (yet) so people are having to lie and pretend to support what is clearly a policy which will lead to many deaths this winter.

If it were the Tories, you lot would be fuming.

 

[jcdenton08]

Oh and incidentally, for someone who has been accused numerous times of being right wing, I am advocating about as clear cut a socialist policy as possible in 2024. The idea that the most vulnerable in society aren’t left to freeze to death doesn’t seem a particularly controversial one.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Yes. And a pensioner too.

I didn’t actually mention someone living full time abroad or mention Spain, I said spends the winter abroad.

If someone is a pensioner and has a home in the UK and spends the winter abroad in a holiday home I’m under the impression they can claim.

 

[nicko31]

Jesus, RBB is a right wind up merchant. Can't be an intelligent debate without him chipping in.

He's the 30p Lee of NSC, desperate for attention with very little of anything constructive to say

 

[BN9 BHA]

Incorrect. We who live in Spain (mainland that is) had the winter fuel allowance taken away by IDS some 10 years ago. And yes, it does get bloody cold here in the winter (houses are of a different construction to UK and most do not have cavity insulation). So we have both central heating (pellets) and a log fire.

Hope this also helps, again I didn’t mention Spain.

Winter Fuel Payment

Winter Fuel Payment helps older people with their heating bills - claim form, how much you get, eligibility

www.gov.uk

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I’d love to know too

I don't need it.

 

[BevBHA]

Settled within 3 weeks of gaining power. Amazing what can be achieved when you have grown ups in the room.

Easy to settle when you just give them whatever they want.

 

[Boroseagull]

I didn’t actually mention someone living full time abroad or mention Spain, I said spends the winter abroad.

If someone is a pensioner and has a home in the UK and spends the winter abroad in a holiday home I’m under the impression they can claim.

There are some that still do this. They are either with a holiday home or the dreaded campervans that litter the place exercising their right to 90/90 since BREXIT. However the number is fewer now as one of the only benefits from the aforementioned is the fact that most of the Brits living 'under the radar' (not paying taxes anywhere, claiming benefits, driving uninsured cars etc) left and had to return to the UK.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Oh and incidentally, for someone who has been accused numerous times of being right wing, I am advocating about as clear cut a socialist policy as possible in 2024. The idea that the most vulnerable in society aren’t left to freeze to death doesn’t seem a particularly controversial one.

I'm a pensioner. I am not at risk of freezing to death at home. Nor do I need a bus pass. Our teenaged doesn't need free school meals.

I will say something about means testing, though. If the management rubric is so expensive it eats into the money saved by targetting only those below a wealth threshold, it is better to not means test it. If the latter is the case, universal is best. But that would be..... a poor rubric.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Because the limit to receive pension credits is £11k - any pension income over £11k doesn’t receive the fuel allowance. So you’ll have pensioners on £11.5k struggling with food and all their bills - plus Sky high heating costs - for under £250 a week.

Then change the threshold, or make it graduated.

 

[BN41Albion]

undoing what the Tories had just started to turn around.

I'm very open minded when it comes to politics, but...

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

The daughter I have posted about on the ADHD thread is a doctor. She is a junior doctor, and is 40 years of age. All doctors who are not consultants are junior doctors as far as I know, so she will probably always be a junior doctor.
She was very conflicted about striking, but did in the end. On one level it is awful that some of the youngest most recently qualified have to use food banks and can’t afford to live properly.
but our daughter, like many other doctors, was doing it principally to protest at the state of the health service, under investment from the Tories for goodness knows how long and so on and so forth. She wasn’t sipping champagne - doesn’t really drink. Had she not gone on strike, she would have donated her pay to the strike fund.
There also an ongoing nurses dispute, and Consultants have also been vociferous about appalling mismanagement of the NHS by the Tories - for example GP practices not being allowed to hire qualified GP’s but forced to go down the road of relying on lesser qualified people….. 2ho may be very good in their own way, but are more likely to miss things!

Not whipped into a frenzy of greed by militant activists in the BMA then?

I will research the BMA for alleged militant manipulation and will report on my findings

Edit, these people run the BMA. The don't immediately look like Corbynistas.....but appearances and qualifications can of course be deceptive.

Leadership at the BMA

Browse biographies of our leadership and team of executive directors, who work towards objectives set by BMA Council.

www.bma.org.uk

 

[BN41Albion]

It should be paid for all pensioners.

You seriously think it should be paid to those, for example, lucky enough to be on final salary pensions having paid off their mortgage decades ago?

 

[nicko31]

Easy to settle when you just give them whatever they want.

Tories tried to demonise them, aided by the right wing press. It wasn’t constructive and only made matters worse.

 

[jcdenton08]

You seriously think it should be paid to those, for example, lucky enough to be on final salary pensions having paid off their mortgage decades ago?

I’d rather it was paid to people in those cases, if it means the millions of others not in those positions are able to afford to have the heating on this winter and save potentially hundreds of thousands of lives. I think it’s a small price to pay. Please see my explanation regarding the £11k cut off for my reasoning

 

[Bodian]

Because the limit to receive pension credits is £11k - any pension income over £11k doesn’t receive the fuel allowance. So you’ll have pensioners on £11.5k struggling with food and all their bills - plus Sky high heating costs - for under £250 a week.

Ah - so you are really saying 'more' should receive it rather than 'all'?