Cost of living payments

chrissy56

Hi my name is chrissy1956,i was just wandering am i the only one not happy with the cost of living payments  .ie why is it only people on benefits being helped surely people who work and got families and oaps  are suffering from the cost of living as well not just people  who on benefits

Cartini

Hi,

Because, as a general rule, those on benefits are deemed to have a low income which requires further aid or those who have medical "challenges" which necessitates a higher use of gas & electricity.

I`m more than grateful for the £150 from the council and have absolutely no objection to differing sections of society getting more than me.  That`s the way it goes; a line has to be drawn somewhere.

Andy

Tori_Scope

I'm sure you're not the only one to feel this way @chrissy56. Many people from different walks of life have been struggling with the cost of living crisis. What further support do you think is needed? 

If you'd like to give us some feedback, you can:

• Tell us how the cost of living crisis has been affecting you and your family
• Have your say on the cost of living crisis

poppy123456

Those that work and claim a qualifying means tested benefit will also be entitled to the CoL £650 payment. It's not just aimed at those that don't work.

For those that are state pension age and above they will receive extra money on top of the winter fuel payment this year, as well as the £650 CoL payment if they claim pension credit

They can't give the payments to everyone because there would be no way of knowing everyones circumstances.

Everyone will be entitled to the £400 energy grant this year if they are named on an energy account.

bg844

If you was deemed to be on a low income in the government’s eyes you’d be claiming some sort of welfare which is the harsh reality many are facing who aren’t eligible. I agree a line must be drawn but on the other hand I have seen other people post on different forums saying how they are eligible for certain benefits but personally choose not to claim because they have ‘pride’.

Nothing in life is perfect so I do agree with what line has been drawn.

Cartini

woodbine said:

I have some potentially bad news, the man who is expected to be Chancellor if Truss becomes PM suggested yesterday in an interview that the £400 energy grant might be means tested, atm it is going to all 29 million households if it were to be means tested it would be more like 9 million.
The moral of the story being never trust a tory.

The link below is from an article a week ago but was repeated this weekend.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/14/liz-truss-ally-simon-clarke-energy-fuel-bill-payments

The moral of the story is never trust any politician, regardless of party.

Cartini

woodbine said:

The link below is from an article a week ago but was repeated this weekend.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/14/liz-truss-ally-simon-clarke-energy-fuel-bill-payments

I`ve just read this article; it states "wealthy people" as targets not to get the £400.  Who is defined as wealthy? I`m "fabulously rich" in comparison to the take home pay of some households, but on the other hand I`m extremely poor compared to other sections of society.

I don`t consider myself poor or rich but I earn enough to get by.  However, 50% of my take home pay goes to my ex who is also disabled, so there`s a chance I won`t get the £400 if the article is correct.  Will my ex miss out on the £400 because she gets half of my pay? (These are rhetorical questions).

It`s a difficult one because whatever happens there will always be people who will benefit and those who won`t.

Cartini

Teddybear12 said:

It would go down like a lead balloon if they change who gets the £400 energy grant now. People have been expecting this. 

I agree.  If what has previously been announced is changed, I think this will be another nail in the Tory coffin in the next General Election.

leeCal

God help us if Liz Truss wins, and roll on the next general election. 

Cartini

leeCal said:

God help us if Liz Truss wins, and roll on the next general election. 

I usually vote Tory to keep Liebour out (and I`m no lover of the Tories), but if Truss is at the head of the Tory crowd for the next G.E. I`ll be voting for the Monster Raving Loony Party.

racyguy

Cartini said:

Hi,

Because, as a general rule, those on benefits are deemed to have a low income which requires further aid or those who have medical "challenges" which necessitates a higher use of gas & electricity.

I`m more than grateful for the £150 from the council and have absolutely no objection to differing sections of society getting more than me.  That`s the way it goes; a line has to be drawn somewhere.

Andy

Deemed. You would have a shock if I told you that a large number of couples with no private pensions or other sources of private income, of State Pension age actually have a net spendable income of over £38,000 pa courtesy of the welfare system obviously including the State Pensions. This would not include any additional help towards paying their rent along with absolutely no Council Tax to pay either.
In addition they also receive substantial grants and other COL social security hand outs 

racyguy

woodbine said:

racyguy said:

Cartini said:

Hi,

Because, as a general rule, those on benefits are deemed to have a low income which requires further aid or those who have medical "challenges" which necessitates a higher use of gas & electricity.

I`m more than grateful for the £150 from the council and have absolutely no objection to differing sections of society getting more than me.  That`s the way it goes; a line has to be drawn somewhere.

Andy

Deemed. You would have a shock if I told you that a large number of couples with no private pensions or other sources of private income, of State Pension age actually have a net spendable income of over £38,000 pa courtesy of the welfare system obviously including the State Pensions. This would not include any additional help towards paying their rent along with absolutely no Council Tax to pay either.
In addition they also receive substantial grants and other COL social security hand outs 

I would genuinely enjoy reading the source of this £38,000 figure, did you read it somewhere (the daily mail maybe?) or pluck it out of the air.

I await your reply with interest. @racyguy

No, I calculated it by using the information off the gov.com websites and then had it checked on a benefit calculator.

I set out with a hypothetical couple who were both in their late 80's and who rented their home paying £750 a month and full Council Tax. Both of them being disabled who had both been previously awarded DLA Care & Mobility at the top rate. The two of them stated that they cared for each other.

 Put that info into a calculator  and see what comes up

racyguy

Sorry I should have said that they were in their late 70's NOT 80's

calcotti

That is an extreme case. Whilst it is true that such a couple could indeed get a large ben3fit income (all tax free) such cases are rare.

calcotti

woodbine said:

What does baffle me @racyguy is that you take the trouble to try and prove me wrong by calculating a hypothetical point but can't be bothered claiming PC which you tell us you should be getting.

I think the reasons why raceguy is not claiming PC has been discussed at length previously.

racyguy

woodbine said:

Have to agree that such cases are as rare as hens teeth, very often by the time they get to their late 70's  one of a couple will have passed away, and it would be unusual for someone of that age to be paying £750 a month rent, they would either be living in a house they owned or social housing where the rent was 50% lower.
But nice try.
What does baffle me @racyguy is that you take the trouble to try and prove me wrong by calculating a hypothetical point but can't be bothered claiming PC which you tell us you should be getting.

Not as rare as you would imagine.
I have never said that I can't be bothered claiming PC. I have in the past and I am quite capable of doing so again.
That is not the problem I have.
After making a claim and getting an award that is when the trouble starts - it's the monthly maintenance and upkeep of that award that is the problem.
I just don't have that ability to do all of that work every month.
Hence why since 2019 I have had to go through two compliance/fraud investigations and a Tribunal hearing simply because I did not, for the reasons mentioned above, notify the Pension Service within a month of any changes arising from my private pensions/annuities even if those changes only amounted to 1p.
I don't want to go through all of that again and again.

racyguy

woodbine said:

I have a private pension it only changes once a year, they send me details of the increased payment and I send a copy of that to the DWP, job done, I'm not sure why your pensions would vary from month to month?

As mentioned before on this forum. I have 5 private pensions/annuities all of which are paid monthly and all have tax deducted of 20%.
All of the pensions increase annually but at different times of the year.
They vary because the tax system works that way. For example, if the gross pension of say one of them stays the same, the net is always different by up to 15p - up or down on the previous month. That is how the tax system works. Over the year it all balances out.
So for each month all 5 pensions/annuities are different in net terms than the previous month.
One of the arguments that I am still awaiting the date of a second Tribunal hearing is that because I failed to give them these monthly figures plus payslip plus bank statement within the 30 day period of the change they have calculated on a weekly basis every time there has been an increase in the net payment because of a lower amount of tax deducted that they had not been notified of. BUT what they do not do is give me any credit when the net figure drops down because of a higher amount of tax being deducted - I lose that advantage because again I failed to notify them within the 30 day window of the drop in net income. It's very much one sided - the Pension Service want back what I was overpaid but refuse to offset it by any underpayment.