A Winter Fuel Payment For Scottish People But Not...

[sandyRoe]

...for us.

Doesn't seem fair does it?

[maggiebee]

Yes, good news but not until 2025.  All pensioners will get at least £100 and those on Pension Credit etc will get either £200 or £300 depending on age.

[gingejbee]

The downside is that they have to live in Scotland surrounded by Scots.

[sandyRoe]

Good for them.  It's a lot colder in Scotland so I think they'd need it.

[Hazlinny]

^^^ And your problem is ........ ?

[davebro3]

It's grim up north.

[newmodarmy]

It's one of the things that can happen through devolution- they will find the money from their own budget and presumably it will mean reductions elsewhere. Other examples are free university tuition fees. It works both ways though- income tax rates are higher in Scotland for example. I do wonder though whether the funding formula gives more money per head in Scotland compared to England.

Fortunately the population of Scotland is relatively small and so there's only 900,000 pensioners in Scotland who'll lose the allowance this year (and get it back next year) so this cost is 'only' £90 million a year, plus any costs for extra payments for pension credit recipients- I've seen a total cost of around £150million.

It's good to see acceptance though that most pensioners who lose the allowance are not rich- many have incomes just above the pension credit figure and have real difficulties with heating in winter.

I do see some logic in saying it's quite a lot colder in Scotland than in Hampshire or Surrey, but it's also very cold in Yorkshire or  Newcastle... so should there be a regional allowance? (No- too messy and too many challenges.)

I'd like to see the £100 extended to all WFA losers across UK, but it should be taxable so the better off lose 20% or 40% of it.  Maybe when we see the impact on excess deaths this winter we'll see some concessions from the UK government for 2025.

[davebro3]

// I do wonder though whether the funding formula gives more money per head in Scotland compared to England.//

Stop wondering - it does.

[davebro3]

//Maybe when we see the impact on excess deaths this winter we'll see some concessions from the UK government for 2025.//

Probably no concessions but the deceased won't care!