Winter Fuel Allowance

[sir.prize]

Should it be paid to pensioners living in warmer climes?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24924228

Apparently in 2015 they will no longer qualify. That will be a big saving.

[sunny-dave]

Sigh :+(

My guess is that the 'pensioners abroad' actually spent many years paying in to the system, whereas many pensioners here have never contributed a single penny themselves ... now who 'deserves' the allowance?

[Sqad]

yansee

\\\\pensioners here deserve it,pensioners living abroad do not.\\\

Just to get things clear in my own mind, you feel that a pensioner in the UK on a pension totaling £80,000 per annum deserves it more than a pensioner in Spain who has a pension of £25,000 per annum?

[jno]

it's about need rather than about deserving, isn't it? In principle, anyway.

[sunny-dave]

Not in this case, jno - it is a 'universal' ie non-means-tested payment and should be paid to everyone who qualifies.

"Need" is addressed through other means-tested benefits.

[boxtops]

Gee, I'd be glad if my total pensions came to £25K a year, irrespective of which country I lived in. The £80k people sqad quotes should certainly be means tested for income like the WFA - why should the State pay them a handout, if they have that sort of retirement income? It's not been contributory, it's a bonus type of payment for being older.

[sunny-dave]

It's a slippery slope that you are on, boxy and grumpy.

Should we also stop the basic state pension for anyone who has other pensions of over (say) £25,000 ?

[woofgang]

I have said before that means testing is a very expensive way of providing a benefit. Its probably better value to make it a universal payment.

[wolf63]

I saw this this morning


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/coffeebreak/cartoons/mac.html

[Sqad]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2507657/Mac--winter-fuel.html

[Sqad]

Sorry wolf.......you beat me to it.....;-)

[hc4361]

Don't forget retired people with high incomes are still paying high taxes. I don't begrudge them £200