Winter Fuel Payment

[simsqu]

I just got my first old people's Winter Fuel Payment of £200

"What shall we spend it on?!" I excitedly asked my missus

"fuel" came the deadpan reply

[didds]

well, that IS what the tax payer has provided the payment for after all.

what else shoud it be spent on?

[staffordian]

well, that IS what the tax payer has provided the payment for after all.

what else shoud it be spent on?

I thought it was to get the Christmas booze with

[Lootman]

well, that IS what the tax payer has provided the payment for after all.

what else shoud it be spent on?

I thought it was to get the Christmas booze with

The winter fuel allowance is, so far, the only welfare benefit I have ever received in return for all the taxes I have paid over the decades. So damn right I am going to irresponsibly fritter it away on the most frivolous and unnecessary thing I can imagine.

[Dod101]

After Lootman's comment I am going to sound desperately prissy and say I am going to do the same as I have always done and give to a charity.

Dod

[Lootman]

After Lootman's comment I am going to sound desperately prissy and say I am going to do the same as I have always done and give to a charity.

Dod

You are a better person than me, I freely concede.

[Dod101]

After Lootman's comment I am going to sound desperately prissy and say I am going to do the same as I have always done and give to a charity.

Dod

You are a better person than me, I freely concede.

I actually think it is a stupid payment especially as it is free of income tax. Not quite as silly as the Christmas bonus of £10 mind you, but I also like the idea of giving the WFP to a charity with Gift Aid attached, when I have paid no tax on it!

I like Lootman's idea though.

Dod

[88V8]

After Lootman's comment I am going to sound desperately prissy and say I am going to do the same as I have always done and give to a charity.

Are you going to give them logs?

V8

[didds]

Its on a apr with the (previous) over 75 free TV licence stupidity.

I'd rather such "freebies"/boosts/payments go to ANYBODY that really needs it, irrespective of age, not just because some arbitrary line in the sand has been passed

didds

[UncleEbenezer]

I just got my first old people's Winter Fuel Payment of £200

"What shall we spend it on?!" I excitedly asked my missus

"fuel" came the deadpan reply

Hmmm, a lady who does an utterly brilliant deadpan? Is she by any chance called Margaret?

[scrumpyjack]

Its on a apr with the (previous) over 75 free TV licence stupidity.

I'd rather such "freebies"/boosts/payments go to ANYBODY that really needs it, irrespective of age, not just because some arbitrary line in the sand has been passed

didds

Trouble is it would probably be uneconomic to have to determine who should get it and who should not.
Better to abolish both completely and put the savings in the pot for 'benefits'.

[jackdaww]

.

ours stay firmly in the money pot .

you win some ( eg wfp ) and lose some ( eg TV licence , petrol , electricity prices , nhs queues ..... ).

[Dod101]

Its on a apr with the (previous) over 75 free TV licence stupidity.

I'd rather such "freebies"/boosts/payments go to ANYBODY that really needs it, irrespective of age, not just because some arbitrary line in the sand has been passed

didds

Trouble is it would probably be uneconomic to have to determine who should get it and who should not.
Better to abolish both completely and put the savings in the pot for 'benefits'.

I agree but at least it should be treated like the Sate Pension and be taxable.

Dod

[UncleEbenezer]

Trouble is it would probably be uneconomic to have to determine who should get it and who should not.
Better to abolish both completely and put the savings in the pot for 'benefits'.

Of course.

But politicians in charge have a problem with commonsense, and find pork-barrel expedient.

Oh, and both parties are thoroughly guilty. I hope noone will make this party-political.

[Bminusrob]

I haave often thought that eans testing such things as winter fuel payments is a stupid idea, as it could cost more to do the means testing than to just give the money to everyone. A better idea, in my view, is to have it "effectively means tested", by changing, say the tax thresholds for pensioners, such that the money is clawed back through the tax system, using a sort of sliding scale, depending on your post-retirement income.

[XFool]

I haave often thought that eans testing such things as winter fuel payments is a stupid idea, as it could cost more to do the means testing than to just give the money to everyone. A better idea, in my view, is to have it "effectively means tested", by changing, say the tax thresholds for pensioners, such that the money is clawed back through the tax system, using a sort of sliding scale, depending on your post-retirement income.

You mean simply have it subject to income tax? Like the state pension. I don't really understand what you mean by changing "tax thresholds" for pensioners - albeit this has already been done, as the age-related personal tax allowance was abolished from 2016.

[Watis]

How's this for a solution?

Increase the wfp to £250, and make it taxable.

- the poorest pensioners - who pay no tax but need the most support - get the full £250.

- pensioners who pay the basic rate of tax get £200 after tax, so the same as now.

- pensioners who fall into the higher tax bracket get £150 after tax, recognising their reduced need for the payment.

Move over, Rishi!

Watis

[XFool]

...OK by me.

[didds]

- pensioners who fall into the higher tax bracket get £150 after tax, recognising their reduced need for the payment.
Watis

if they are in the higher tax bracket they don't need £150 for winter fuel - no more than anybody not in the higher tax bracket anyway.

didds

[Dod101]

I suggested that it should be taxable earlier in this thread. Definitely abolish the £10 Christmas Bonus. Now that is just stupid. It must cost more to distribute it than t is worth.

Dod