General Chat

Sue ...

as I said, there was a loophole that someone found. I know at least 5 couples who got pensions from the UK, and they all maintained it was legal.

I first heard of this about 10 years ago.

We were not interested in participating, so I didn't enquire as to exactly HOW it was done.

So far as I know, they were not in any kind of reciprocal arrangement with a third country ........ several were teachers.

A cousin resident in USA cannot afford all the different meds she supposed to take so has to decide which meds get priority. We do well here in UK

Ron


............ you do indeed do well in the UK

There are seniors here who have to make the same choices.

I would be happy to pay to see my GP. Say £25 a time. As it is, I have more chance of an audience with the Pope than getting to see my doctor. I had to wait well over two weeks just to see a nurse to get my ears syringed.

Gawd if I had to pay to see my GP with the number of appointments I have I WOULD be in the workhouse :-(

Had a letter today saying I'd be paid my winter fuel allowance within 3 weeks. Hubby hasn't had his yet so no idea in which order the letters are sent out.

Not had ours yet.

Mine has been credited tonight, no sign of hubby's yet.

Mine was paid into our bank today.
OH will presumably follow in due course.
But it would be simpler and cheaper to drop WFA, Xmas bonus etc. and just add it to the basic pension.
As it is, the WFA is paid in November/December but the large fuel bills come in March/April if you pay quarterly, as we do, so by that time the WFA has just merged with all the other finances.
Someone up there in DHSSland semms to think that we still have coffee jars lined up on the mantleshelf labelled "Gas; Electricity; Coal; Rent; Rates; and so on !!

Well not received any notifications as yet . Guess they have to update their records as it's only me now .

Hubby's bank account has been closed and his assets passed over to me as his next of kin

BrianW

"But it would be simpler and cheaper to drop WFA, Xmas bonus etc. and just add it to the basic pension."

Tend to agree as that would make it taxable for all pensioners who pay a lot of tax. But there are many pensioners who do not pay tax. Or pay very little. And those should not be penalised.

Then there are folk on pre-payment meters. (Who may well have those jars lined up.)

Also how do you envisage it being added? Evenly over the year? A one-off sometime in early Spring?

I received my letter yesterday, so hope to see the payment soon.

Just a thought: I don't know how many pensioner households there are? (1million?, 2?, 3?) But at £200 a pop, I guess that the State is spreading the cashflow over a period of time.

does every pensioner get the Fuel Allowance??

Or is it based on your income in some way?


ie, do even rich people get it?

To the best of my understanding all get it.

https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment

Inky 1,
"Pensioners who do not pay tax ...............should not be penalised". So increase the personal tax free allowance. It is being increased anyway but IMO should equate to 40 hours work at the minimum or living wage, even if that means increasing the basic rate by a penny or two.
The technical term is "Fiscal Drag" when tax allowances fail to keep up with earnings over an extended period and is a sleight of hand which successive Chancellors have used to bring low paid into the tax net and middle incomes into the higher rate bracket.
There is no justification in paying retired executives with a six figure pension a tax free WFA.
.

exactly, Brian ...............


why should those who are wealthy get the Allowance??

It could be based on your last year's tax return, so no-one who had an income more than £xxx received any money, or there was a gradual reduction in the amount received as your annual income increased above a certain point.

Then it might be possible to even increase the amount paid to those who most need it.


That is the system here for receiving child credits / allowances ........ and even for reductions ("claw-backs") in the amount of OAS that seniors can receive .............. the more income you have, the less OAS you receive in person. The "claw-back" payment is actually assigned to paying your tax bill :-)

WFA does have to be claimed. However, all claimants who meet the age criteria will receive it. It is a tax free allowance and doesn't have to be declared.

Something has changed in the last few years re Child Benefit or what the current name is called. Households where one parent's earnings falls into the higher tax band receives less than if their earnings were below that.

Its a bit daft as the parents could have individual incomes below the higher tax band thresh-hold, but combined be bringing in more than a different household where one parent is paying higher level tax, and the other is taxed at the basic rate.
Young relatives fall into the latter catagory - they've said it isn't worth the form filling hassle.

Any filtering scheme a) designed and b) rolled out would cost the taxpayer more than the Winter Fuel Allowance payments.

High earners and those with huge savings have tried to exempt themselves to no avail. They have to actively repay the sum....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31963099

Winter Fuel Allowance varies depending upon age, whether in receipt of other benefits, who you happen to be living with, and a "one off" payment per household.
The over eighty age group receive the maximum which at the moment is £300.
the full list of the different payments is much too long to enter in the space available within the facilities provided courtesy Genes Reunited.
If memory correct , I understand the payment is arranged alphabetically. I.E. surname starting with letter 'A' receives payment before surname starting with letter 'B'. I could be wrong on that. Full details obtainable about this subject at
www.nidirect.gov.uk From one F.H. seeker to many more, Happy hunting

WFA is not means tested - presumably the Queen qualifies

My missis J has received hers..........I'm R so will be a few more days, methinks........

I have read that WFA payments are issued primarily by N.I. number and length of time the person has been in receipt of it......... not alphabetically by name.


For example my sister received her notification 2 weeks ago surname 'W' but not her husband, obviously the same name...... but he is 2 years younger than her. I am 'B' and 4 years younger than my sister and have not yet had a notification.

Maybe this applies to others with two qualifying members in the household that receive it at different times.