Makes me so angry ...

[SIRandyraven]

On the news an old person , slowly freezing to death because of a broken boiler and money to get it fixed.
They should move her into one of the illegal immigrant holding centres. Sure they have warm rooms or maybe an MP could give up a second home for a few weeks ?

I'm not a socialist , but seeing things like this on the new does pee me off. What a society we live in.

[NazNomad]

Maybe you could go and fix it for free?

[naomi24]

I agree.

[naomi24]

Cross posted. I meant I agree with SIRandyraven.

[SIRandyraven]

I would kill her.
My plumbing knowledge would be the end for the poor old girl.
Also I need to buy a Corgi first. Why do gas fitters have to have Corgi dogs ? Do the dogs sniff for gas leaks ?

[SIRandyraven]

Should be "No money to get it fixed"

[dotty.]

Is this not what Help the Aged and Age Concern raise money for? If she's on a fixed income/benefit she'll qualify for a new boiler won't she?

[cazzz1975]

wouldnt she get her winter payment? that is worth a few bob

[Dris]

Some elderly people are frightened to put heating on.Surely some have families who should be putting their minds at ease.Its a sad state of affairs but I cant get my mind around the fact that they are all on their own.Even £250 would go someway to helping them with their heating -it would me.

[dotty.]

ooo I didn't realise that age concern and help the aged had merged!
http://www.ageuk.org.uk/

[Mamyalynne]

It is dreadful to think that in this day and age this can still happen here.

[magma]

Every year some old folk die in the cold with no heating on, Every year we hear
We will learn from our mistakes so this will not happen again

[Dris]

Think the elderly have to be reassured that they can put the heating on.I think there is enough being done for them but a lot of elderly people are stubborn and wont take advice even from their own families.Old habits die hard except they forget they ARE old now:(
I think anyone who has an elderly neighbour has a moral duty to keep an eye on them -I do.Its an impossible task to expect all the caring sevices to be able to be all things for all people.Politics dont come into this as far as im concerned.

[magma]

Government sources confirmed that plans to increase the qualifying age for the annual winter fuel allowance from 60 to 66 were now "on the table" as David Cameron's coalition government seeks to cut £13 billion from Britain's welfare bill.

The move was met with fury by charities representing elderly people who warned it would inevitably lead to an increase in the number of older people living in fuel poverty - defined as being when a household can no longer afford to keep warm.

[Dris]

My retired parents live in a family home which is far too big for them but as my dad built it and it has always been the family home they wouldnt ever sell it.They only have state pensions-my mother was a housewife and my dad a plasterer so they dont have private pensions.Yet they manage.They also maintain the house and the half acre garden they have and they are not spring chickens by a long chalk.
Therefore I reiterate I cant see why anyone, in this day and age, with all the help available, are near freezing to death.I simply dont buy it.You can throw stats at me until youre blue in the face -the help is there for elderly people.My Nannie was 90 when she died -she lived in a single end and didnt know what to do with the money she got -she had raised a family of 12 although 4 died and had nothing apart from family and she thought she'd won the lottery when she got money over and above her pension.She wanted for nothing.Its maybe an inner city problem -I dont know but ive never known an elderly person here who has suffered.
I cant see why its the Governments fault (on this occasion)

[CJ242]

It's disgusting!
My grandmother is a 93 year old widow. She is given her pittance of a 'winter allowance' by the government and expected to pay the rest out of the joke they call a pension.
She worked her whole life, she did her bit for the war and then had to deal with losing her son in the conflict.
I'm not racist, but I do sometimes feel that immigrants are being given a far easier ride than the people who were born, raised and then fought and worked for their country.

[B00]

Now before anyone jumps down my throat....how much is a standard pension? I'm assuming by the time (I hope!) you're an OAP you've no mortgage, so the money goes on.....what exactly?

[DSJ]

Some elderly folk are so independant that they won't ask for, or accept, help of any sort. Others are afraid to spend their money because they need to keep some back to pay for their own funerals.

[askyourgran]

My mum was 92 when she died, but she was very canny with her money, it was as if she was still trying to exist on war time rations. She was lucky my brother lived at home with her. But there are those who live alone who daren't put the heating on because they are afraid of how much their heating/lighting bill will be at the end of the quarter. The older generation are more likely to be worried of getting into debt, and not all of them have any savings or that much money to live on.

[dotty.]

My Mum and Dad paid full council tax but owned their bungalow outright and so didn't have rent to pay. But after being retired for nearly 20 years my Dad was pretty much running out of savings, if he had lived longer he would have been really struggling. This is what alot of people are not getting, after retirement, there are years and years to face of fixed income and economising, we don't know how long we have to make savings and pension last!