Will pensioners be told to cancel their Netflix? | James O'Brien - The Whole Show

[@TippedBalance]

If you can't afford to keep up your £1+million property... CUT BACK ON HOLIDAYS, LESS BRUNCH AND CANCEL THE SUN SUBCRIPTION. Do as you demand of the youth, HYPOCRITES.

[@andrewstevenson118]

Harsh but fair. A certain older female relative in my life lived in a house worth $1.4m and claims every possible benefit from the government she can. She also complains about how she has so little to live on.

[@IsrhatSo]

Your statement falls to bits as soon as Labours claim that 4000 people will die if the Tories had done the same came to light 👌🏻

[@IsrhatSo]

@@andrewstevenson118It’s not a fair point lol unless ALL pensioners are wealthy which they aren’t

[@andrewstevenson118]

@@IsrhatSo The point was about people with 1m+ properties. So I think it's fair.

[@IsrhatSo]

@@andrewstevenson118 They are irrelevant though it’s the ones that aren’t that are the issue surely?

[@emesfion]

The Royal Family does not need multiple properties of their current size or value, because NOBODY does. The monarchy should be abolished, the Royal Family should be moved, and the palaces and grand houses should be opened up to the public full-time as tourist sites for the world to still come and visit. We should be a Republic and a meritocracy, and we shouldn't continue in the collective delusion that these people are somehow special. It leads to the worst entitlement possible; half a billion pounds worth.

[@lionguardant5468]

you're gonna be amazed when i tell you the palaces and estates ARE open to the public

[@Deleted11100]

@@lionguardant5468how many homeless or desperate young people do they house? I might enquire.

[@emesfion]

@lionguardant5468 they're often only open in Summer and at select times, as the Royal Family is in residence.

[@SimplySketchyGT]

They won't be until the ROI becomes unviable. They generate around £550 billion to the economy. You should look into the Kings Trust to and the amount of charity work Charles does with the wealth of the Royal Family.

[@northwestcoast]

The cutoff point is way too low. £20k rather than £12k would have been fairer

[@andrewstevenson118]

Or a sliding scale. A bright line test often creates unfairness.

[@emesfion]

​@andrewstevenson118 @northwestcoast Does anyone know if the £12,000 is their annual pension payment only or is this simply no more than £12,000 in additional income to their state pension? I would love to know so I can better come to a conclusion.

[@Wimblefish]

@andrewstevenson118 but that will still leave people 'just" on the other side of the final cut-off. No different to how it will be with a hard cut-off. The child benefit cap isn't on a sliding scale, means tested disability and unemployment benefits aren't on a sliding scale - why should this?

[@michaelhoskins6579]

@northwestcoast What about those that are just over the PC threshold who get £12K a year but also have £30K in the bank and perhaps have some investments or other assets? Savings and assets should come into it. I think there's an argument to be made that if you qualify for Council Tax Support and/or Housing Benefit which has a higher income threshold than Pension Credit and an upper savings limit to claim of £16K you should also get the Winter Fuel Payment. That would include more people who are just over the PC threshold but would ensure that those with savings over £16K who let's face don't need it with that level of savings wouldn't qualify.

[@cozimo64]

The majority of pensioners are on £27,771/year after housing costs and taxes. MORE than the median worker. The 28% of pensioners that rely solely on the state pension will get the payment. This is a none story.

[@grahamepigney8565]

What are the facts that say that the majority of pensioners are on £27,700 after housing costs. The 28% that you say rely solely on the state pension will continue to get it IF they make a claim for Pension Credit AND qualify for Pension Credit. Not all of them will qualify.

[@brianferguson7840]

My generation (pensioners) are the richest demographic in the UK by a huge margin ! We benefited from cheap housing, final salary pensions, early retirement on full pension from public sector jobs, massive profits from house values, and a triple lock scheme which guaranteed bigger pension rises than workers pay rises. Not to mention unlimited free local transport And yet my contemporaries are whinging about losing a £200 energy payment when young parents can't feed or clothe their children.

[@emesfion]

THANK YOU

[@Handle-of2si]

Some of them actually do need it, and some of those that need it will no longer get it. This isn't a few dozen we are talking about either, this is thousands of thousands of people. Meanwhile anyone who comes illegally to this country on a small boat will be kept nice and warm at our expense through winter and spring!

[@andrewstevenson118]

And given the removal of the payment is means-tested, it doesn't seem like a big deal.

[@andrewstevenson118]

@@Handle-of2si What's the cut-off for getting it? Like, do you know how it's means-tested?

[@nothereandthereanywhere]

@@Handle-of2si Did you vote for Brexit? Because small boats are a direct consequence of it. Add it up to the damage to the UK economy due to Brexit in the value of 40BIL. I think loosing £300 is a tiny price. Get over it, you voted for it - own it.

[@jonnobloggs1139]

I hear loads and loads of outrage from the far right media regarding the wage rise given to train drivers at the expense of pensioners but I hear no outrage from the same people regarding the £45 million wage rise given to Buckingham Palace at the expense of pensioners.

[@emesfion]

Excellent comment

[@gregchew8225]

Or above inflation rises in MP's salaries!

[@clownofthetimes6727]

@@emesfion It is whataboutery of the highest kind and you think it is an excellent comment. I take it you are one of the 1-5`s that voted for Nu Labour. Will you apologize to the 80% of the country that did not vote for this Tory lite freak show?

[@IsrhatSo]

Bold statement any proof?

[@dufud]

Far right media. We both know there is no far right media. Far left maybe in lbc .

[@Wimblefish]

The house i live in was bought, with cash, for £22k in 2002. It is now worth £112k. Im currently 35, have been married for 12 years and have a 5 year old child. My husband is disabled and i am his full time carer, so neither of us can work. The ONLY reason i will ever own a house is because it was my parents that bought the house in 2002, and that will only happen if my parents dont suffer some sort of financial difficulty before they pass.

[@mattyfrommacc1554]

Same, but I am 47, my Dad bought the house for 12K in the 70s from a guy in the pub!, and is now worth 300K

[@weareallbornmad410]

So you can barely get by, but your parents were able to buy a house with cash. Maybe we should change which generation recieves financial help?

[@mattyfrommacc1554]

@@weareallbornmad410 I'll get by, mainy as I am inheriting this house, so I do know exactly what you mean

[@HelenBain-th9nm]

Why don’t they just raise the threshold for qualifying for the fuel allowance … sorted !

[@Wimblefish]

Because there will ALWAYS be people that are only a few quid over the threshold. Where do you want to draw the line, and what do you suggest we do for the people who lose it by a few quid? They are not taking it away from all pensioners, they are taking away from people who don't need it, so that the money can be spent on other things that need sorting. Pensioners benefitted from a high 'wage to living cost' ratio and bought houses for pennies. Pensioners voted the Tories in. Tories crashed the economy massively. Now young people are suffering and Labour are getting the blame for the state of the economy and having to make the hard choices (they warned us hard choices were coming before the election)????

[@michaelleiper]

Because it's hard to calculate it. Some people will just have a pension, but others will be living on income from ISAs (with no tax to report on it).

[@barbaramohammed152]

Well a pensioner i know well has £1, 500.. and she dont have Netflix., or a microwave..or a car, ..and the same furniture she's had for many years...she went on holiday for the first time in years...for 6 days....in April this year.. ... she not exactly looking forward to the winter..😮

[@jacquelinemosforth8280]

I’m not a pensioner and I’m not looking forward to winter either. Haven’t had a holiday since 2017, and a house full of old and preloved furniture.

[@HelenBain-th9nm]

Brazil they don’t have a monarchy children beg in the street children live in the sewers police shoot orphans so yes Uk have a monarchy and high standards of living !

[@nothereandthereanywhere]

Sounds like many normal working people, unfortunately. With the difference - many of the working have a microwave. But a microwave can be obtained easily on freebies sites. Hope you will find some way to help her, shame I don't know her.

[@hannahheywood9439]

I'm disabled and I'm not looking forward to winter. I don't get help with my heating. Last year we was told to put extra clothing on.

[@gillh405]

I retired from nursing aged 58. I was lucky to receive an NHS pension that allowed me to do so. I left the UK for Portugal after the Brexit referendum because, as a single woman, I knew I could never afford to stop working if I stayed. I reach state pension age this year, I have lived frugally to survive thus far but I don't need the winter fuel allowance. Despite being in Portugal, winters can be cold in homes built to keep heat out, not to keep it in. However, I have acquaintances here living in expensive villas, with swimming pools, who drive new cars and who own 2nd homes in UK. They are up in arms at no longer getting the allowance. It's criminal.

[@djstuc]

£5.76 a week for a couple, £3.84 a week for a single person.... if this was the younger generation who were impacted, can you imagine the abuse being given by those lot about managing finances and avocado toast etc?

[@shanecopner7827]

Right wing media why arent we talking about the 6,000 bank branches that have shut since 2015,that affects pensioners and disabled people,you wont will you

[@GloriaHoulihan]

Why is the Office for Budget Responsibility report being avoided by the main stream media? It is stating each unskilled migrant is costing £465 ,000 by the age of 81 and there's also dependent s. Nigel Farage has even avoided speaking about the report.

[@HelenBain-th9nm]

Exactly Rod Stewart and Paul MaCartney don’t need it !

[@paulneedham3608]

We have all had mental health problems depression etc in our lives. I have had Non Hogkin Lymphoma when i was 34 years old .the second time I had Lymphoma I had to have a bone Marrow Transplant. In 1999 I had just months to live my son was only 7 years old. That's hard to live with for my wife. LIFE can be difficult for all ordinary people at some point.

[@nickinthefield4202]

I hope James will be discussing the fact that Starmer is now planning to go after the sick, after he criticised the tories for planning to do the same? Yes or no?

[@ArtyFactual_Intelligence]

Not happening in anyone's field.

[@hannahheywood9439]

No he's going to help the sick and disabled back into the work place. Difference between what the Tories plan and labour is, labour are not going to suspend benefits if after turning down 3 jobs.

[@ben5156]

I am one of the seven million and also because I get a one hundred and sixty pounds small pension I don’t qualify for pension credits.

[@mickreaddin4979]

Not a monarchist myself, but what should our monarchy look like? Mho is, King and Queen(present) and next heir(future). That's it... the rest are superfluous to need.

[@brianferguson7840]

My generation (pensioners) are the richest demographic in the UK by a huge margin ! We benefited from cheap housing, final salary pensions, early retirement on full pension from public sector jobs, massive profits from house values, and a triple lock scheme which guaranteed bigger pension rises than workers pay rises. And yet my contemporaries are whinging about losing a £200 energy payment when young parents can't feed or clothe their children.

[@IvesyBuilds]

Don't get me wrong I'm not defending it. I'll be paying my mortgage off until I'm 65 or 70, and by then my property value will not have inflated by more than I've paid in in mortgage payments and additional interest payments, and I'll be in further debt from heating bills and general cost of living...

[@BrianWillcox-qp2hr]

" only the Joker would think of that",

[@IvesyBuilds]

"Living in a household with combined assets over £1 million" is such benign wording, it obviously does not mean they themselves are millionaires....

[@robertstrong6798]

As long as they don’t need to cancel their sausages

[@TraderInTheLab]

Irrespective of what absurd defense James can muster up for Labour cutting pensioners winter fuel allowances - there isn't a 1 in 20 billion chance that he would have the same stance if the tories did that. James would get a little bit more respect if he said what everyone in the UK is thinking, which is - there must be another way to save money instead of cutting a pensioners a few hundred quid per year. If Keir added 0.1% tax to corporations that alone would add millions extra and they wouldn't even notice it.

[@nickinthefield4202]

I’m sure it would be reasonably simple task to introduce a gradient rather than a cut off point where means testing is concerned, to reduce the viciousness of it?

[@ArtyFactual_Intelligence]

Just raise the level of savings allowed for Pension Credit qualification, to take account of the massive inflation since the 10/16000 limits were set.

[@johnrussell3961]

Netflix? UK gold is free .

[@kerryhutchings6316]

Really?

[@malcolmmitchell6529]

Even worse movies

[@Ilcka]

Because of my mothers pensions she make just a little to much and doesn't qualify for it anymore.

[@AnonymousAlcoholic772]

It’s hard to believe I actually bothered to listen to this guy for this long. I always knew he was labor more than lefty, but this is cartoonish.

[@ArtyFactual_Intelligence]

Do you go to the Meetings?

[@hannahheywood9439]

Go and have another beer and go watch gbeebies more your thing. This is an adult channel.

[@mickreaddin4979]

*No mention of Starmer going after the vulnerable and disabled, eh James? (*12 minutes in, so I could be wrong.)

[@uksnusreviews9455]

James you absolute hero! Shame on the flam flam indeed!!!

[@MonkeyHill1955]

Stsrmer is a conservative.

[@MrWhitmen1981]

If you are watching Netflix its really woke they won’t be missing out on anything.

[@ArtyFactual_Intelligence]

Just raise the level of savings allowed for Pension Credit qualification, to take account of the massive inflation since the 10/16000 limits were set. And abolish the TV licence for all pensioners. Simples.

[@GloriaHoulihan]

The OBR gives independent analysis of public finances. We appear to be indulging in empathetic suicide.

[@Dynasty1818]

Whine that the youth shouldn't eat avocado toast and get daily coffees, because then they could afford a house, they had it tougher blah blah blah, now whining about not having enough to stay in retirement. Oh how the tables have changed shoes now eh? Sod 'em, you did nothing for us so why should we bend over with more taxes etc for you?

[@paulneedham3608]

Fed up with younger people saying how hard they have it. I am 64 years old and have had hard times in the past. Still working guess what Still working earning £11.66 a hour. After nearly 50 years of work I have done my bit. The best lesson my mother taught me was how to save money from the age of 5 years old.

[@brianferguson7840]

If you've been saving since 5 years old you won't need a £200 fuel allowance. Give it to a struggling young family.

[@kumoryuu]

If you're 64 and still working for £11.66 an hour, I wouldn't say you've done too well...!

[@Deleted11100]

So because you have had a fairly average life, you’re sick of young people who have it harder? Do you have any idea what mental health has done to the younger generations, mental health challenges as consequence of modern society, pressure and politics, which you haven’t ever had to deal with or have a clue about?

[@brendapeter7872]

Nit picker, not clever. This should be taught in schools.

[@brendapeter7872]

I don't know 1 pensioner in the millionaire bracket. 😮

[@mickreaddin4979]

Stringfellow, McCartney etc etc etc, there are many others.

[@nothereandthereanywhere]

The one million bracket is usually about the value of their property. If the older generation lives in London, they are 95% a millionaire. If they live in job rich are with a nice house, they are likely a millionaire - like BCP(Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole), Brighton, Bristol, Bath...) Things that are completely unreachable to today's generation.

[@SugarpillProd]

Wow, it's almost as if statistical facts aren't entirely based on your own personal knowledge. Who'd have thought 🤯

[@michaelleiper]

In London, if you bought your house in the 90s or earlier (like I did), you know quite a few people who have assets over £1m. Because all your neighbours do (at least those who bought a while ago, so have a relatively small mortgage and a lot of equity). Some of them, like me, aren't pension are yet...

[@MadnessQuotient]

Looking to my own future, what i would like to see are strict regulations on insulation standards and schemes pushed through by governments to ensure that new builds are passive and old houses are upgraded. I dont want winter fuel payment when i am old. I want a house that doesn't need heating in the winter. I've seen how many schemes for insulation and green boilers there have been all throughout my youth. If homeowner pensioners made the choice not to take up those schemes, that is kinda on them.

[@tombartram7384]

Labour in opposition : we have the lowest state pension in Europe, old people have to heat or eat etc. Labour in power: Pensioners are the richest group in Britain.

[@ArtyFactual_Intelligence]

Both statements are true. Working class pensions are not the same as middle class pensions.

[@deadcert]

spot on

[@JonathanThompson-h9x]

James its ok when labour do it O'Brien

[@Deleted11100]

Let me play you a sad tune on my tiny violin 🎻 x

[@JonathanThompson-h9x]

@@Deleted11100 heavily taxed one

[@davepubliday6410]

You can find yourself in a million pound house through no fault of your own. Maybe it was purchased in 1975 for tens of thousands. Doesn’t mean the occupant is wealthy, an expensive house doesn’t earn money if you live in it….

[@spudotnik]

Equity release. Use the value of your house.

[@davepubliday6410]

@@spudotnik Yeah, unfortunately this will be the choice for many, evaporatorating any chance at intergenerational wealth in families. It makes profits for banks and it ultimately forces families to sell the family home to someone who will likely turn around and rent it out for their profit. This reinforces the gap between the rich and the poor.

[@TheLeonPrior]

Doesn't mean they don't have the wealth though. Downsize by a 3rd and pop £300k in an index tracker.

[@ThePastaPastor]

Another name for "property rich" is "rich"

[@MyraRobertson-l8c]

They don’t need it but feel entitled to it because they worked all their lives.

[@emesfion]

We will be working far longer than current OAP's for far less, but the last government didn't navigate finances or develop economic structures to support us, our need for stability, or our futures.

[@malcolmmitchell6529]

See how you feel at 75 luv

[@Handle-of2si]

Some of them actually do need it, and some of those that need it will no longer get it. This isn't a few dozen we are talking about either, this is thousands of thousands of people. Meanwhile anyone who comes illegally to this country on a small boat will be kept nice and warm at our expense through winter and spring!

[@nothereandthereanywhere]

@@Handle-of2si Did you vote for Brexit? Because small boats are a direct consequence of it. Add it up to the damage to the UK economy due to Brexit in the value of 40BIL. I think loosing £300 is a tiny price. Get over it, you voted for it - own it.

[@Handle-of2si]

@nothereandthereanywhere I didn't vote either way in that referendum. I think they are often a poor way and divisive to make democratic decisions, especially when the country was more or less split 50/50 on the issue. Equally it had no unified backing in parliment, so any negotiations with the EU were farcical as there was no guarantee any deal would pass through Westminster. So where does that leave us with the current crisis where thousands of mostly young men are turning up each week?

[@sandramcinnesscott2931]

James trying to convince people that pensioners have the broadest shoulders and should carry the burden . I wonder if he could live on £12,000 lowest pension in Europe and horrendously cold and wet winters

[@jeffsimon9594]

As a sociopath he does not care

[@nothereandthereanywhere]

If you own a house, you have got options - such as downsizing and living in more elderly friendly settings. But I do agree that pension is small. Hope you have voted Tories as they have been stripping UK assets for decades and now you have to pay what would be helpful to you.

[@AParkin]

Did you just defend the government pinching money of pensioner Your mistake is as a pensioner you cannot get a mortgage so your left with equity release which is a Hugh ripp off buy the companies doing it That's a terrible thing to think

[@mickreaddin4979]

74% of pensioners own their home outright.

[@hannahheywood9439]

The younger generation can't get on the property ladder. Those that managed to have seen their mortgage doubled or trebled thanks to lettuce truss.

[@wiseget]

Starmer worth £7.7 million,believes pensioners who receive around £12,000 a year can live without their winter fuel payment but accepted £76,000 in freebies,including suits and glasses for him, dresses for his wife and tickets to over 20 football matches! Get a grip

[@simonburke9567]

Pensioners who receives only £12,000 a year state pension would be entitled to the payment so don’t get your point.

[@andrewstevenson118]

@@simonburke9567 Check the join date. May be a disingenuous poster. 🙂

[@cozimo64]

28% of pensioners rely solely on the state pension (roughly £12,000), whom qualify for the payment. The rest? On a state + private pension, raking in £27,771 on average AFTER housing expenses and any taxes. That's more than the median worker.

[@Bushwacker-mb6hw]

Show some respect to the pensioners they paid their taxes and fought for people like you and i. !

[@emesfion]

I don't think it's disrespectful to detail the mathematics...

[@andrewstevenson118]

What does "respect" mean in this context? Give rich pensioners money?

[@andyb410]

None of the current pensioners fought in any war. Their parents did.

[@andrewstevenson118]

@@andyb410 Maybe not WW2, but Korea and Falklands probably, Gulf maybe.

[@mickreaddin4979]

The WFA is a benefit, much the same as housing benefit, unemployment benefit, disability benefit etc etc.

[@deadcert]

jimmy boy doing more digging than burke and hare.

[@gregchew8225]

"You will own nothing and be happy!"

[@SandyTa-u7d]

James Obrians dad was a toolmaker ! 😅

[@ArtyFactual_Intelligence]

Was yours a gravedigger? Just asking.

[@hannahheywood9439]

More a banker not James but sandy

[@silenthunter13171]

This is why i love you james, based asf

[@Durka-Durka01]

Will James O'Moron put down the bottle, and stop being Labours top fanboy?! 😏

[@djstuc]

ironic comment.

[@twisteddancer7773]

Won't be long until o Brien will be a pensioner. Luckily for him he already has all the money he needs to stay warm in winter. Unlike the many pensioners will be able to do this winter

[@Deleted11100]

Yes, this is absolutely, entirely all the fault of James O’Brien.

[@jeremygough1387]

Great to know that you care about poor people.

[@jeffsimon9594]

@@Deleted11100 Strawman

[@Deleted11100]

@@jeffsimon9594 whinge

[@andrewstevenson118]

@@jeffsimon9594 What on Earth has that got to do with JOB?

[@petermartin4142]

How much for person James?

[@greamespens1460]

Keir Starmer the granny harmer

[@rustynail1194]

I thought that was Wayne Rooney?

[@greamespens1460]

@@rustynail1194 VG. Ferry forgiving of his wife to stick with him.

[@nothereandthereanywhere]

Tell granny to stop buying Daily Mail, she will save enough for the fuel. Much bigger change than young saving for a house by not buying an avocado.

[@mangosamosa4378]

Granny sat in her £500,000 house isn't being hurt by not getting £300.

[@wiseget]

@@nothereandthereanywhere Starmer worth £7.7 million,believes pensioners who receive around £12,000 a year can live without their winter fuel payment but accepted £76,000 in freebies,including suits and glasses for him, dresses for his wife and tickets to over 20 football matches! Get a grip

[@achatwithalex474]

In regards to the winter fuel allowance, any sweeping policy requires means-testing. I’ve spoken to as many OAP who say “tbh, I don’t really need it” as I have to those who live by it. Unless we have the infrastructure and the money to properly regulate policy, a lot of what this Labour government is proposing will be seen as wholly callous

[@hughiemg2]

It is means tested... based on those who qualify for pension credit...

[@johnrussell3961]

The Tories learnt the anger of the the elderly who had benefits taken away .so they shifted to not allowing future claimants the right to claim thrm.

[@wiseget]

Starmer worth £7.7 million,believes pensioners who receive around £12,000 a year can live without their winter fuel payment but accepted £76,000 in freebies,including suits and glasses for him, dresses for his wife and tickets to over 20 football matches! Get a grip

[@Sw4lley]

⁠@@wisegetyou are repeating yourself, listen to the whole part of the topic and then form opinions and argue on the. Or atleast stop using copy/paste on whataboutism paragraphs that are largely wrong anyway.

[@mandlin4602]

But didn’t he earn that money? I mean maybe if these pensioners stopped overspending on avocado to…. Oh wait no we only do that to young people. Now who’s the snowflake?

[@brianferguson7840]

To all the Anti Starmer commentators, who don't or can't understand the true versions of current affairs carefully and gently explained by James O'brien, I challenge you to call LBC and debate your version with him on air ? No ? I THOUGHT NOT !

[@Chris-oz9qx]

O'Brien thinks it's fine for multimillionaire Starmer to accept 107k worth of gifts from multi multi millionaires but not that someone who owns their own house gets a 300quid WFA. You , Starmer and O'Brien are Tories, you're just born 30 years after Major was PM.

[@Russell2Newman]

I have lived in Germany for many years, my Dad voted for Brexit, and still refuses to accept it hurt not just me, but all young people. In his defence, he always said that he didn’t need the fuel payment. Would it not be sensible, to limit the fuel payment to pensioners on pension credit + £300. income. But I suppose that would involve red tape.

[@paulneedham3608]

What is clever

[@markravenscroft1]

i left when brexit fever hit before the vote and didnt vote with a misguided apathy to my besties opinion ions , but no one has rolled back and all want a second term .

[@malcolmmitchell6529]

Netflix,? Crapontap. Brain rotting awful movies

[@Handle-of2si]

Some of them actually do need it, and some of those that need it will no longer get it. This isn't a few dozen we are talking about either, this is thousands of thousands of people. Meanwhile anyone who comes illegally to this country on a small boat will be kept nice and warm at our expense through winter and spring!

[@jonnobloggs1139]

Don't you think it would be a great idea if the 45 billion given to the king should be cancelled and given to the pensioners?

[@deancyrus1]

25:53 hahaha legend 😂

[@tonytidbury6569]

No means test except the tax code. Adjust the tax code to claw back benefits from people who don’t need it. Find a way to include assets in the calculations e.g. property taxes, interest, dividends etc.

[@BeepBoos]

James, thank you for being fearless and holding people to account 🙏🏼💞🦸‍♂️

[@Durka-Durka01]

😂

[@ryansweeney1661]

Bot

[@andrewelder8212]

Not talking about the rich pensioners, there are 880,000 people NOT claiming pension credits so will lose their fuel allowance. I don't think they've got Netflix. By the way if they manage to get even half of them to claim pension credits it will cost them more than the £1.4 billion they are trying to save! You sure Rachel Reeves is an economist - sounds dumb to me.

[@mickreaddin4979]

Because it *is* dumb, and not just for the reasons you mention.

[@FigelNarage]

Except, morally they should be receiving those benefits and once they're registered it would apply every year so the overall cost diminishes in relation to those who don't need the winter payment.

[@petermartin4142]

How much for person James?

[@michaelhoskins6579]

We spent a year in lockdown (rightly) in part to help protect the over 70s and many including myself took a real hit to our incomes during this time due to being self-employed and others lost their jobs. Our already high mortgage repayments and rents skyrocketed as a result of the Liz Truss' economic meltdown. We're paying more tax than at any time over the last 70 years. We're living in the end times of Neoliberalism that the older generation voted for that the younger generations feel none of the benefits of and all of the negatives. It's time for today's working age people to get the same rewards for working hard just as the older generation did. The poorest pensioners will still get the Winter Fuel Payments and those just above the Pension Credit threshold can still get benefits such as Council Tax Support and Housing Benefit if they pay rent, unless they have savings over £16K which will help them considerably. I'm glad we now have a government who finally see that younger people are struggling and are willing to take the flak and make the difficult decisions. It gives me hope for the future.

[@michaelleiper]

The problem isn't the rich not getting it. The problem is those not eligible for pension credit who are just about getting by not getting it...

[@valentineshearman8583]

Throw away the Rubens? The point is that a lot of these costs put down to the royals would still have to be spent curating art, historic buildings etc. etc. This is a simplistic view, even before you look into the costs of any modern head of state. A depoliticised head of state is a stabilising thing.

[@valentineshearman8583]

The art in particular is part of all our cultural heritage. "Sell off the family silver"??!

[@LynneConnolly]

As long as the Royal Family continues to make a profit, I'm okay with them. Not happy, not thrilled, but if they want to carry on, they need to make that profit. It did save us from Trump!

[@danielbillingsley8073]

I came to a realisation recently which confuses me. People are very vocal about the winter fuel payment becoming means tested, because poor pensioners will suffer. The argument that many rich pensioners don't need it is ignored. Compare this to free school meals, which could be a Universal thing rather than means tested. In this situation people say millions will be wasted giving it to rich kids. The arguments for it supporting the poorest kids in society are ignored... 2 groups of people, 2 very different/contrasting views

[@emsmiff607]

The people this hits aren't the wealthy ones living in expensive houses. It hits the working class people who got a small occupational pension that doesn't amount to much but, when combined with the state pension, puts them out of reach of every means tested benefit. It's right to stop this benefit to the better off but it should have looked at household incomes in order to determine who gets the benefit and who doesn't.

[@RobMorrison-vf2is]

If people genuinely need the money, then the government should make sure they get it. But I don't think it should be for everyone or expected especially if you do not need the money. In some European countries they have the equivalent of local government/government officers who go through everything with individuals to ensure they are getting/claiming everything they are entitled to, without having to fill in a best seller with 43 pages. All the red tape and over complicated admin is not necessary it would be very easy to simplify the process. I'm in the age bracket and don't want it, I'd rather they spend the money on child poverty, we have enough of that in this country, which is a disgrace in 2024.

[@Flippant-j5d]

Pensioners will soon be tech savvy enough to jailbreak their firestick or set up a simple media player and bypass all this nonsense. Anything you want, free without ads. Trance music will be blasting from care homes while we abuse the meds. Prepare yourself for the golden years of GenX. If you have a Mother or Grandma you love - tell them to save the £180 or whatever quid and do not pay the BBC for starters - just stop. Then get them a firestick and install a few apps and she'll be in media for life, free x

[@ryanisstuckin93]

Ha! You just described me. I'll be having my own free party circa 1992 via a smart phone and Bluetooth whilst popping my meds like pacman.

[@grahamepigney8565]

A household that is worth over £1 million doesn't mean that they have access to cash. Borrowing money to make up for the loss of the Winter Fuel Allowance depends on finding a lender who will lend to somebody over 67 and the ability to make the repayments that are demanded.

[@riggsprince8857]

When it come to the 300£ fuel payment just think each year the number of pensioners will increase meaning the cost to the country will double so by the end of this 5 year parliament the amount will be about 10 billion and climbing hence why we can only afford to pay those who need it

[@riggsprince8857]

Don't forget the tories floated the idea of means testing the whole pension & guess what all the right wing tori backers all said it was a absolute great idea & needs to happen Labour comes along and removes the 200-300£ and those same people are creating a absolute storm of a issue totally forgetting what they all floated Labour should means test the whole pension as guess what.... Million & billionaires are still & will continue to get the state pension how is that fair

[@TonyGame-k2x]

I have cancelled all pay for view tv programmes 😡

[@marinka424]

This is so slow, one idea every five minutes. I can’t listen.

[@DivinaDeCampoTV]

You can’t take a mortgage out at that age.

[@deadcert]

3 billion for the bbc what do we get for that?

[@valentineshearman8583]

ShibbolEth

[@dakitz]

How bad are you if dont know what 6000 out of 1 million is