The vote on the Winter Fuel Allowance (WFA) at the Labour Party Conference was a protest vote, made on the morning after the speech before. Apparently the hall was half-empty reminding the Guardian of a Zombie Apocalypse
Liz Kendall found herself on the wrong end of John Crace’s pen
Liz … less so. Though she did get a standing ovation for saying the government had had no choice but to cut the winter fuel allowance.
How she managed that was a mystery. Maybe she’s a hypnotist. She also managed to convince herself that the whole purpose of cutting the WFA had been to increase spending to make sure everyone in need claimed pension credit. Reality is no object to Liz. She has somehow convinced herself she thought up the triple lock. Truly, she moves in mysterious ways.
WFA is so divisive it’s the kind of thing you would only cut in the opening months of a Government , the surprising thing is that the Government has picked on a group of people whose needs are so various
It looks very hard to means test without a cliff edge
You are entitled to your opinion Nic but you are wrong. My dad lives on £12k Pa in a caravan. He doesn’t qualify for pensions credit and he can’t afford to heat it. His electricity costs have become prohibitive and every penny counts. I’m fine with taking it off 40% taxpayers.
— Carl Howard (@carlfhoward) September 25, 2024
It’s sad that the pension agenda is now dominated by a payment that is most definitely a benefit and not a pension. There are many other things that need to be debated in pensions, not least the state pension age, the last report on which is now two years old and still to be published. The AE reforms are now a matter for 2025 making their implementation in the middle of the decade unlikely. Pensions are now a matter of investment and will remain so as we approach the budget, after which they will be an issue of taxation.
Sure , there were some photo-opportunities for industry celebrities invited to the think-tank panels of the Conference fridge and I expect a few videos will circulate about what was discussed within the rooms, but frankly there are enough open debates about pensions to negate the point of the fringe and it looks to be dying a protracted death.
Pensions remain an important issue, but Conferences don’t do the kind of detail they need. That’s now a matter for social media!
What disgusting political speak from the Pensions Secretary only interested in the dogma from the ‘far left’. We do not want to be ‘De-Warmed’! That is not an acceptable ‘Change’ (the wrong one). This is just another deprivation of us vulnerable being pushed into complex means testing (all of 240 questions) all online to untrained last century elderly and sick pensioners unable to fend for themselves. We already have no support in digital communications having to absorb expensive new technology and the government have deprived already of our free TV benefit that the last government did nothing to hold the BBC to account for breach of their agreement to support all pensioners. Others are still trying to recover their lack of income from disasters at the Post Office, flawed FAS rules (PAG) and lack of Pension Promise and the Equitable Life (EMAG) disaster has never been addressed properly by government. We are just sitting targets at the whim of the elite to toss around to suit themselves!
It seems that under the current Government they will only discuss provided they control the questions and only answer them if it suits them ,WASPI Ladies werethere in force but no acknowledgement.Sir Alan of the post office campaign said on the news no progress.pensions action group have battling for over 20 years and it is nearly a year since we gave evidence to the WPSC.
Great comments from Peter beattie