Millions receiving up to £600 today to help with cost of living crisis

[T00ts]

Cheers Toots.

I have a pretty good life, but the actual style makes me appear very poor. So if I send you my address and you want to forward me all your spare cash well, I will say thank you

Good try Borchester but I think you give enough evidence of not being quite needy enough in this instance. 

[Borchester]

I have already decided that if my fuel bill is not as high as the combined allowances that I am expecting it will go to help others. I feel it is unjust for anyone who is expecting and hoping to simply pocket it rather than help others in worse circumstances. Having said that I am being careful and will try hard not to use all the allowances simply so it can be passed on. 

Cheers Toots.

I have a pretty good life, but the actual style makes me appear very poor. So if I send you my address and you want to forward me all your spare cash well, I will say thank you

[srb7677]

But , you clearly dont understand the counter argument that however whichway you cut it there will always be people on benefits that are better off than people that are not .

Only if their living costs are a lot higher or if those poorer than them are not claiming when they should be doing so, a point you are still failing to understand.

[T00ts]

LOL Im not old enough to get anything yet whether I qualifyed or not .

But , you clearly dont understand the counter argument that however whichway you cut it there will always be people on benefits that are better off than people that are not .
  A lot of old folk, rightly or wrongly or just the pride of never having had to rely on the state  wouldn't lower themselves to be means tested . Just give them the money ,if they have got too much they will only give it away for someone else to spend it so whats the problem ?

I have already decided that if my fuel bill is not as high as the combined allowances that I am expecting it will go to help others. I feel it is unjust for anyone who is expecting and hoping to simply pocket it rather than help others in worse circumstances. Having said that I am being careful and will try hard not to use all the allowances simply so it can be passed on.  

[Streetwalker]

But as I explained and you clearly failed to understand, no one on UC will overtake anyone not on UC unless either they have much greater living costs or the person not on UC is not claiming when he should be.

And how on earth can it be cheaper to give everyone 600 quid instead of generously means testing it via mechanisms already in place? Is it perhaps because you are one of those getting a bung you don't need - and wouldn't get if it were means tested?

LOL Im not old enough to get anything yet whether I qualifyed or not . 

But , you clearly dont understand the counter argument that however whichway you cut it there will always be people on benefits that are better off than people that are not .
  A lot of old folk, rightly or wrongly or just the pride of never having had to rely on the state  wouldn't lower themselves to be means tested . Just give them the money ,if they have got too much they will only give it away for someone else to spend it so whats the problem ?

[srb7677]

But  then those that start claiming UC overtake those that are just above them .And so on and so on . It can't go on for ever lapping each other can it ? 
You are just creating more jobs for the paper shufflers . Much cheaper and fairer to give them all the £600 .

But as I explained and you clearly failed to understand, no one on UC will overtake anyone not on UC unless either they have much greater living costs or the person not on UC is not claiming when he should be.

And how on earth can it be cheaper to give everyone 600 quid instead of generously means testing it via mechanisms already in place? Is it perhaps because you are one of those getting a bung you don't need - and wouldn't get if it were means tested?

An alternative option might have been to give it via the tax system, with no one whose declared incomes pass a certain point getting the money. After all, if we don't give it to those who don't need it, we can either use the savings to give more help to those that do, or simply not use them at all so as to decrease government expenditure.

[Streetwalker]

That is not how universal credit works. It provides a base income which also covers any rent then withdraws 55p for every £1 in take home income above that level. So someone claiming UC cannot by definition have a higher income than someone who cannot unless their living costs re such things as dependents and rent are higher.

Besides I also included the minimum income guarantee for pensioners which you have not taken into account. I would also suggest that it is right that working people have higher average incomes than pensioners because they are....er....actually working? And if UC makes that possible for the working poor, then fair enough in my book.

If their incomes are overtaken by UC, (which varies according to personal circumstances, and is reassessed on a regular basis,) they should be claiming UC.

But  then those that start claiming UC overtake those that are just above them .And so on and so on . It cant go on for ever lapping each other can it ?  
You are just creating more jobs for the paper shufflers . Much cheaper and fairer to give them all the £600 . 

[papasmurf]

Problem with that is that those who have looked after themselves all their lives without state aid and live just above the Universal credit limits get naff all and see their incomes overtaken by people on UC . That can't be right .

If their incomes are overtaken by UC, (which varies according to personal circumstances, and is reassessed on a regular basis,) they should be claiming UC.

[srb7677]

Problem with that is that those who have looked after themselves all their lives without state aid and live just above the Universal credit limits get naff all and see their incomes overtaken by people on UC . That can't be right .

That is not how universal credit works. It provides a base income which also covers any rent then withdraws 55p for every £1 in take home income above that level. So someone claiming UC cannot by definition have a higher income than someone who cannot unless their living costs re such things as dependents and rent are higher. 

Besides I also included the minimum income guarantee for pensioners which you have not taken into account. I would also suggest that it is right that working people have higher average incomes than pensioners because they are....er....actually working? And if UC makes that possible for the working poor, then fair enough in my book.

[Streetwalker]

 It would have been better to bung the money on Universal Credit and onto the minimum income guarantee for pensioners, so that only those who really needed it got the money. Surely as a country we cannot afford massive handouts to people who are already well off?

Problem with that is that those who have looked after themselves all their lives without state aid and live just above the Universal credit limits get naff all and see their incomes overtaken by people on UC . That cant be right .

[papasmurf]

 Not to mention the 7 years of pension, about £63,000 stolen from my wife

The same happened to my wife. As for giving any of the government "largesse," back, an Agincourt salute, to that. Fuel for our open fire with backboiler for the central heating has gone up in price by 60%, cost of living increases on food are now scary.
If we were not mortgage free, we would be in serious financial difficulty.

[Barry]

Perhaps there should be social pressure for those who don't need this cash to return it. Means testing is a dirty phrase to many but surely there comes a time when there needs to be a sensible distribution rather than tossing cash into the crowd like sweets at the panto.

I don't think so. Pensioners were robbed of this amount of cash when the triple lock was abandoned last year. Not to mention the 7 years of pension, about £63,000 stolen from my wife and I when the state pension age was increased. I'm not giving any back, I'm saving up for some home improvements. 

[srb7677]

Perhaps there should be social pressure for those who don't need this cash to return it. Means testing is a dirty phrase to many but surely there comes a time when there needs to be a sensible distribution rather than tossing cash into the crowd like sweets at the panto.

That is the inherent problem with giving out wads of cash to entire groups - eg pensioners - regardless of income or wealth. Far from all pensioners are poor. Some of them are clearly very well off and don't need the money. And Borchester seems to be telling us that they get it for two properties, not just their main dwelling, which is surely ludicrous. It would have been better to bung the money on Universal Credit and onto the minimum income guarantee for pensioners, so that only those who really needed it got the money. Surely as a country we cannot afford massive handouts to people who are already well off?

[T00ts]

Dunno what this is all about.

We are getting 400 pounds for each property as a result of the gas and oil increases, which means 800 pounds. We don't use much lecky or gas at the Rural Ruin so that is pretty much bunce. And then the government pays us 250 pounds each by way of the Christmas coal allowance. So one way and another we are picking up 1500 pounds between us, which is better than a kick in the wedding tackle.

Is there any more on the way?

Perhaps there should be social pressure for those who don't need this cash to return it. Means testing is a dirty phrase to many but surely there comes a time when there needs to be a sensible distribution rather than tossing cash into the crowd like sweets at the panto. 

[Borchester]

Millions receiving up to £600 today to help with cost of living crisis

Pensioners will start to receive up to £600 in their bank accounts from today to help with their energy bills.

Source: Millions receiving up to £600 today to help with cost of living crisis

Dunno what this is all about.

We are getting 400 pounds for each property as a result of the gas and oil increases, which means 800 pounds. We don't use much lecky or gas at the Rural Ruin so that is pretty much bunce. And then the government pays us 250 pounds each by way of the Christmas coal allowance. So one way and another we are picking up 1500 pounds between us, which is better than a kick in the wedding tackle.

Is there any more on the way?