Savings Threshold and Christmas bonus
With the cost of living crisis and bills going through the roof - forgive me for sounding like a stuck record, but now that we have a new Government, surely it must be time to raise the earnings threshold from £6000 - even if it's only a little bit.
I also would like to see the generous bonus of £10 put up or even scrapped? as it has been £10 since the 1970's. £10 was a lot in the 1970's but it isn't now. And do the same with the Cold Weather Payment of £25, either increase it or scrap it.
Am I asking too much?
Comments
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I've mentioned these 2 things before and been shouted down but I'm glad someone else is on the same wavelength
The Christmas bonus would be around £150 today if inflation was taken into account, and I think the savings limits would be about double
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I don't want to cause any upset here but I think these figures should be reviewed. A bonus of £10? It's not our fault that we are disabled.
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I do think it's silly that it's still called a "Bonus" when it's just £10. It should be actually meaningful, enough to pay for a small christmas meal at least.
I would highly recommend writing to your new MP about this, Parliament hasn't fully started up yet but better to get those thoughts and ideas in early I imagine!
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I agree @Stickman
I can understand why people here support the £6,000 cap because £6,000 is a pipe dream for a lot of people who claim benefits
However for those of us who do want to do the right thing and put some money away, it's unfair that the limit has been reduced in real terms (i.e. accounting for inflation) every year for about 20 years
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i would of thought a married or living together couple on uc would be double the 6000 or a single person should be on 3000 seems a bit silly for it to be a 6000 limit for single and couples
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But after savings of £6000, benefits are reduced, which, I think is a really unfair. I'll say again, it's not our fault we're disabled.
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Have they? The last time the limits increased was in 2006 😂
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmworpen/463/46308.htm
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I will say that £6000 in 2006 would be around £10,000 now. £16,000 in 2006 would now be worth £26,800.
Also, there are people who were born in 2006 who voted this year! It's quite a long time to not have something kept up with inflation.
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I wouldn't call 18 years not long ago!
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my first grand daughter was born 18 years ago seems like yesterday to me
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I don't think the cold weather payment is too low. That's £25 for each week of very cold weather. I have a very inefficient electric heating system and would still struggle to use £25 a week on it!
I do agree the Christmas bonus should be scrapped though. Must cost DWP thousands to send out all the letters for it. And even if it's automated and doesn't use any people power, it still uses a lot of server time and electric to process all of those payments. Not worth it for just £10 each imo.
I am also for increasing the savings threshold. Should be £10k minimum now. Not just for inflation but it should also take into account how much the things cost that disabled people are likely to be saving up for. Such as high AP's on Motability, accessible holidays and private healthcare/operations.
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When the Christmas bonus was first introduced in 1972, the £10 amount had the same purchasing power as £135.04 does today, making it a substantial Christmas bonus at the time. Initially, only pensioners received the Christmas bonus, with disabled people and carers being included many years later. As a disabled person, I see it as a goodwill gesture of support for pensioners, disabled and their careers for the Christmas season.
Regarding the £6000.00 savings threshold, it seems quite low. To keep this threshold fair and relevant, it might be beneficial to review and adjust it periodically, perhaps every 3-5 years. I was not aware that disabled people could claim a cold weather payment, I will have to look into that.
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The cold weather payment is issued automatically to those who qualify. You do not need to do anything to claim it. The temperature must be below zero degrees Celsius for 7 consecutive days in your postcode to receive a payment. There can be more than one payment each winter if there is more than one cold wave.
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You need to be claiming certain means tested benefits to qualify for this, it's not just paid to disabled people.
For the avoidance of doubt the CWP is not payable for those living in Scotland.
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Thank you so much for sharing the link, Poppy. I only receive PIP, so I don't qualify. What's that saying? The computer said NO!
OverlyAnxious, I have to admit, I chuckled at the thought of struggling to use £25.00 a week on heating, it must be nice not to feel the chill! Even though it's supposed to be summer, I've had to turn on the heating a few nights over the last few months because I was so cold. I've even resorted to using the electric blanket on some particularly chilly evenings. And this is coming from someone living on the usually warmer South Coast!
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You're welcome. Yes, silly computer saying NO. As for the heating, I actually turned mine on one evening last week and can't ever remember doing that this time of year. I really didn't want to but I was freezing.
One other thing I forgot to mention with the CWP. It's not paid per household either. If there's more than 1 adult in your household and they all qualify, each person will receive it.. with the exception of a couples benefit claimants. I live with my adult daughter and we both receive £25 each if the temperatures trigger a payment.
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That feels like something that could be reworked surely? I don't want people to lose out, but it feels a bit silly that a couple in a house get just £25, but 2 non-coupled adults get £50!
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The couple vs non-couple distinction for payment levels can seem a bit arbitrary. However, from reading various posts on benefits over time, it appears that a couple is counted as a single claim. So, while I may be mistaken, it seems that the claimant receives the payment based on their couple status, rather than the number of people in the household.
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The couple can share body warmth! Not an option for us single people. 😄
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I last went on holiday 21 years ago
18 years seems like yesterday
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