What annoyed you (in the news) today?

I have no problems with the Winter Fuel Allowance being means tested. I totaly agree that peope like me who can afford to pay the full cost of their energy bill should.
What I object to is that people who have a pension income of circa 12K and are therefore ineligable for pension credit so are £200 - 300 per year worse off as their income is greater than the meagre amount they are allowed before they can claim.

We are talking about people who often worked from being 15 years old to retirement age (50 years) not the 35 years now required for a pension.

Yes there are probably some allowances they could claim - but how does someone who is computer illiterate and doesn't have children to look after their interests know this. They may be intensly proud and feel ashamed 

I live next to a 93 year old gentleman who worked in the steel industry who is in this situation.  A man who did national service and fought for his country (I think in Korea). A man who owns a house I know he can't really afford to maintain but he does his best and is too proud to admit he has a problem. I am so worried about him.

How is it fair to remove the Winter Fuel Allowance from him?

I am so angry that a socialist government can do this to the elderly that I actually wonder if they intend to kill the older people and it is their intention to save more money by not having to pay his pension.

Sorry - rant over -.  But I think the society I now live in is one I am ashamed of.

I had decided to 'stuff the next person I heard saying they did not need the fuel allowance into my freezer for two hours'. However due to the fact there is no space in there and I cant be bothered to track you down, I will let it pass. I mostly agree with you.

It is a physical fact that as people age their ability to withstand cold weather reduces considerably. So need to keep warmer in cold weather, the reason for the fuel allowance first being introduced. So yes the Governments plan is quite likely to endanger life on a grand scale (getting into full dramatic mode here) and is a shameful act.

Yes many nuances and household setups make it a fairly blunt instrument to achieve targeted aid, I suspect however the cost of not giving it will simply be transferred to the NHS in trying to save lives caused by its absence. Once again we have replaced one set of blinkered 'Leaders' with another set equally as incapable of thinking outside the box.

No apology rant only just getting out of the starting blocks...........

Its all down to a failure to tax people properly, a failure going back 30 years in not helping people insulate their homes. Multiple systemic failures due to an obsession with reducing taxes regardless of the state of public finances. Reporting to you from the continent, I can say that there are no food banks in my country of residence and no need for winter fuel payments. 

I never voted Labour in my life but the dishonesty of saying that Labour wants to kill pensioners, that "the Labour Party wants to raise your taxes", of course they effing don't. But Hunt lopped 21 billion off the NI tax take to win the election with a bribe KNOWING that if they didn't it dumped a great big $41t in the lap of their opponents, creating a situation where any incoming government has to take measures like this one to maintain basic services.

And a lot more to come. This new government can't start on trying to make the country better until it has gained control of a sufficient income. So give them a chance and cut the bullsh that Labour politicians, socialists, don't want the best for the poor.  

Agreed bracknellboy. Both parties were being told not to be dishonest about the need to plug gaps in public finances by the IFS and others. Labour made its own rod for its back by promising not to raise basic taxes, leaving their options limited to peripheral  takes like the WFP and other wheezes they will announce in the budget.

Neither party faces reality. The Labour backbencher who proudly abstained on the radio today. Totally self serving and irresponsible. Someone (Starmer) needs to stand up and say.. Well don't say "its all going to be terrible and then get worse". Say " Here is my plan for a root and branch reform of how we do things. I'm sorry, but some taxes will rise but the payback will be greater in terms of better public services, a less divided society, better local government etc etc"

Thought you were in Belgium? Have you moved?