Winter fuel payments cut Options

[JeffG]

Seeing as the winter fuel payment just covered a part of the difference in the inflated price I had to pay for a tank full of oil last winter, it helps a bit but not much. A swift resolution to the Libya business will do much more for my pocket that the allowance, however much it ends up as.

[dannyboy]

Instead of knitting for their great grandkids, why can't grannies just knit themselves a sweater?

[JeffG]

Instead of knitting for their great grandkids, why can't grannies just knit themselves a sweater?

A really thoughtful comment.

[dannyboy]

A really thoughtful comment.

It is. Think about it. Why pay to heat an entire house when all you need is more clothes.

[user23]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12846318

The yearly tax-free payment to help people pay for their heating in the winter was worth £250 for the over 60s last week, and £400 for the over 80s.

But the payment will revert to £200 and £300 for the two age groups in the winter of 2011-12.

How's the big protest going in London today? I presume you're there.

[JeffG]

It is. Think about it. Why pay to heat an entire house when all you need is more clothes.

Have you ever sat in a freezing cold house in the middle of winter because you are having to ration your fuel in case it runs out and you can't get a delivery for a month or more?

No, I thought not.

[dannyboy]

Have you ever sat in a freezing cold house in the middle of winter because you are having to ration your fuel in case it runs out and you can't get a delivery for a month or more?

No, I thought not.

Yes I have.

Moved into a house with ancient heating, boiler packed up in September had to wait until april the following year to be able to afford boiler to be replaced. No hot water, no heating.

I wore more clothes. My partner wore more clothes. A cold house is a healthy house.

[Cognosco]

Yes I have.

Moved into a house with ancient heating, boiler packed up in September had to wait until april the following year to be able to afford boiler to be replaced. No hot water, no heating.

I wore more clothes. My partner wore more clothes. A cold house is a healthy house.

A cold house can be a death house for the old and frail. They suffer from hypothermia far more readily than the younger and fitter.

[bfg]

Some of the comments here are disgusting. Richard Benyon said the Conservative Party would not cut fuel payments and now he won't say anything about fuel payments. Yet another broken promise from the Conservatives and Lib Dems.

[Cognosco]

Some of the comments here are disgusting. Richard Benyon said the Conservative Party would not cut fuel payments and now he won't say anything about fuel payments. Yet another broken promise from the Conservatives and Lib Dems.

Well why sound so shocked? After all he is a career politician is he not?

Someone has to pay for the banking crisis, after all they are his paymasters who must be obeyed, and we all know who will not be paying though don't we?
The bankers have taken the money and it is back to business as usual. Their attitude is oh well not much harm done where's my bonus?

[GMR]

We can argue about the reason behind the deficit all we like, the fact is the Conservative Party and the Lib Dems promised not to cut the fuel allowance, even saying tha Gordon Brown and Labour were lying. Turns out it was just another promise to be broken.

You are being disingenuous here. The Tories and Lib Dems made promises as individual parties; coalition agreements changed that (the same would have happened if the Labour party had joined with the Lib Dems). Also; the promises both parties made were made before they knew the real damage Labour had left behind.

And the labour party did lie.

The real story here is that it is the vulnerable who are getting hit hardest again, yet there was no mention of this cut in the budget statement. How many other gems are hidden away?

The real story HERE is what labour had left the coalition and this country. If anybody is suffering then that is thanks to the previous government; the labour government.

[GMR]

The motivation is the forum not becoming a general talking shop but keeping it as a good resource for discussion of local issues.

This forum is not just for 'local issues' but anything that people from Newbury are concerned about.

It it becomes the former it looses much of it's value, this should be apparent to you. If it's not, ask yourself why.

Are you admin now User23?

[GMR]

It is in the wrong place, not the end of the world but the categories are there for a reason. As someone already pointed out this has gone way off thread already, owing mainly to the fact that it is in this section.

Does it make any difference? It is not a life or death situation but people just voicing their concerns/ opinions or whatever. Who really gives a toss what section this is supposed to be in? Unless the pedantic squad have taken over this forum.

[Cognosco]

This forum is not just for 'local issues' but anything that people from Newbury are concerned about.



Are you admin now User23?

No still WBC unofficial defender of the faith.

[GMR]

No still WBC unofficial defender of the faith.

Or..... maybe an OFFICIAL defender of the 'faith'. WBC do take on odd types.

[Jayjay]

We can argue about the reason behind the deficit all we like, the fact is the Conservative Party and the Lib Dems promised not to cut the fuel allowance, even saying tha Gordon Brown and Labour were lying. Turns out it was just another promise to be broken.

The real story here is that it is the vulnerable who are getting hit hardest again, yet there was no mention of this cut in the budget statement. How many other gems are hidden away?

This was hidden away so deep even Nick Clegg was unaware of it. When confronted on the fuel cut on a radio phone in yesterday NC claimed "we have increased winter fuel payments". When it was pointed out that Ed Balls had said it was cut NC replied "Honestly, I dont know what he is on about. He keeps throwing around wild insinuations". Mr Cleggs spokesman later issued a statement that Nick Clegg was fully aware what was in the budget.

[Richard Garvie]

This was hidden away so deep even Nick Clegg was unaware of it. When confronted on the fuel cut on a radio phone in yesterday NC claimed "we have increased winter fuel payments". When it was pointed out that Ed Balls had said it was cut NC replied "Honestly, I dont know what he is on about. He keeps throwing around wild insinuations". Mr Cleggs spokesman later issued a statement that Nick Clegg was fully aware what was in the budget.

I just stumbled on than link today, somebody posted it on facebook. What else was hidden?

[GMR]

I just stumbled on than link today, somebody posted it on facebook. What else was hidden?

If you stumbled on it then obviously the link

[Cognosco]

I just stumbled on than link today, somebody posted it on facebook. What else was hidden?

You still have time to take a trip even with all your posting Richard?

[NWNREADER]

I may be mistaken, but I believe the £400 rate was a special/temporary arrangement. If so, that enables the Government to state they have not changed the rate - they are only not paying the extra bit. Standard politicking.

As for things not being in the speech but in the paperwork, again that is (sadly) standard procedure. Budget speeches especially are struck with this practice. There will be many more 'hidden' items before the Finance Bill passes into Law, and that will be exactly the same as many past Budgets.

While many pensioners may well 'need' the money, many others do not. Paying everyone is not in the best interests of the needy.