Winter fuel allowance cut

[number 6]

?100 less for the over 80's, ?50 less for the over 60's. Not even mentioned by the low life in the budget.

[David Johnson]

Yes, but what you forget is the only time that old folks feel the cold is when New Labour is in government.

It's that New Labour way where everyone is encouraged to do nothing at simple taxpayers' expense like me and then live the life of Riley. Under the Tories, they know they have to put a pullover on in winter instead of taking my money, turning the gas right up and imagining they are in fucking Benidorm from November to March.

(Jimslip's busy)

[Arginald Valleywater]

Won't make much difference, most of them spend it on Christmas presents and bingo. Very few pensioners actually die of cold or starvation, it is a do gooder myth.

[David Johnson]

"Won't make much difference, most of them spend it on Christmas presents and bingo. Very few pensioners actually die of cold or starvation, it is a do gooder myth."

Glad to see you are getting into the swing of my Jim Slip spoof message.

Err. you are joking? Right?

Cheers
D

[Sam Slater]

Actually, it's true.

If any government wanted to help old people get through the winter they'd send the money straight to the gas/electric company at the end of the first quarter of the year (because that's usually my, and most other peoples', highest bills of the year).

Instead they give out the money, in cash, a month before Christmas. The bills you get around that time of year are for the 3 previous milder months. Not many die of hypothermia through Sept to Nov.

Will some pensioners save the money under their mattress for the cold winter ahead? Yeah. Will most buy presents with it for the Grandkids? You bet. It's a vote-catcher and made to look like the government is doing something.

Of course, what slimey George is doing is cutting it down, which isn't good. So I'm not defending this in any way. Just saying the monies paid out are about pleasing a 3rd of the voters out there who happen to be over 65.

Maybe he could have put a penny up on petrol instead of taking it off, and giving that extra penny to help old people over the winter. I'm sure others wouldn't complain so much about petrol prices if they knew it was going to a good cause.

[David Johnson]

A somewhat over-literal interpretation, Sam.

What Arginald said was
"Won't make much difference, most of them spend it on Christmas presents and bingo.

Both Labour and Tory-led governments have treated oaps badly overall.

The UK has amongst the lowest state pensions in Western Europe.

The vast majority of pensioners are, in general, on a fixed income.

Compare the %rise in state pension over the last 10 years with the % rise in heating bills in the same period.

It is against that backdrop that the cuts in the winter fuel allowance should be viewed.

Arginald's comment suggest that oaps have a life of riley with lots of cash for bing and Xmas presents. For many oaps, it's a weekly struggle.

Cheers
D

[Sam Slater]

I wasn't saying OAPs have a life of riley. Just saying he had a point re xmas presents and bingo.

There's no good reason to give pensioners ?200-400 in cash just before Christmas unless you want to give them a little sweetener for when the elections come around (and make it look like you're combating pensioner poverty at the same time).

I suppose as well as it being a vote-catcher and making it look like government is doing something for the elderly (good for government), they'd rather you spend it buying presents and bingo, rather than heating your home, because VAT on gas and electric is far less than VAT on gambling, barbie dolls and computer games (also good for government).

I only know a few pensioners and they saw through it a long time ago. Only a few months before last Christmas I was at a family get-together and my nan was talking to one of her great-grandson's. She asked him what he wanted for Christmas to which he replied some computer game for his xbox360. She told him he'd have to wait to see how much her fuel allowance would be before tipping out all her ?20s on the table, chucking her brandy over them and setting them ablaze, all the while cackling maniacally. She then glassed the bouncer that came running over and did a quick dash for the fire exit. We've not seen her since, though the great-grandkid in question did have a Ducati Superbike 1198SP in black parked on the drive, Christmas morning, with a postcard from anonymous telling him he was forever in 'her' dept and that she's coming to collect when he's 18.

And that's the truth.

[David Johnson]

"She told him he'd have to wait to see how much her fuel allowance would be before tipping out all her ?20s on the table, chucking her brandy over them and setting them ablaze, all the while cackling maniacally. She then glassed the bouncer that came running over and did a quick dash for the fire exit."

That happens a lot in Blackpool too. Strange that.

[Arginald Valleywater]

Not remotely joking, just finished a massive project on older persons for job, a social landlord who have several thou over sixty tenants and found most of their homes were warm enough to farm cannabis and grow bananas. Same with the sheltered accommodation, my colleague owns a large barn conversion and she realised her gas and electric usage was lower than some pensioners in one bed flats. She did a test and found some flats were over 90 degrees. Hard facts DJ.....the poverty stricken pensioner is a myth.

[David Johnson]

"She did a test and found some flats were over 90 degrees. Hard facts DJ.....the poverty stricken pensioner is a myth."

We don't all live in Monaco though. Were they also having caviar for breakfast and a selection of fine wines from the cellar in the evening?

I just can't wait to get my state pension and see my living standards zoom up.

Cheers
D