A pensioner, angered by his rate of income tax and the removal of his Winter Fuel Payment, has “stopped working on weekends”.
John, 75, who drives heavy-duty machinery, said he’s been working since he was 12-years-old.
Following new changes to the eligibility criteria of the Department for Work and Pension’s (DWP) Winter Fuel Payment, as well as the rising tax burden on pensioners, John said he will be cutting his hours of work down.
Reform MP Lee Anderson, who spoke with John, wrote on social media platform X: “Over 60 years of graft and how is John rewarded?”
Many X users sided with the pensioner’s decision, with @bestm8te writing: “They’re happy to lose John’s vote. They’ll definitely never have mine.”
@MartynCCR added: “Plant operators, super skilled and a dying breed. Without them, no houses, no infrastructure, no future.”
Meanwhile, some questioned John’s need for the benefit. @Euro_toff wrote: “What does John need a winter fuel allowance for if he has a full time job?”
@DBW77 added: “If he’s earning over a certain amount then he should be paying income tax surely? All his weekend wages won’t be going on tax will it?”
The Winter Fuel Payment helps pensioners with heating bills during the winter, providing between £100 and £300 to those who meet the criteria.
The benefit was previously available to all pensioners in England and Wales born before a certain date. However, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that from this year, only pensioners receiving means-tested benefits, such as Pension Credit, will qualify.
Critics of the previous Winter Fuel Payment system argued that the funds were going to people who didn’t need them, with some wealthier individuals choosing to donate their payments to charity or opt out of the scheme entirely.
However, the change is expected to impact more than 10 million pensioners, with charities warning some pensioners will be “seriously hit” by the cut.
Age UK launched a petition this month, which has gained more than 360,000 signatures so far.
The petition reads: “Cutting the Winter Fuel Payment this winter, with virtually no notice and no compensatory measures to protect poor and vulnerable pensioners, is the wrong policy decision.
“Millions of struggling pensioners won’t receive up to £300 they rely on to pay their bills. We believe as many as two million pensioners who find paying their energy bills a real stretch will be seriously hit by this cut. Those on low incomes who just miss out on Pension Credit, those with high energy needs because of disability or illness, and the one million who don’t receive the Pension Credit for which they are eligible.”
It added: “The Government should halt their proposed change to the Winter Fuel Payment and think again.”
Meanwhile, frozen allowances are causing more pensioners to pay income tax on their state pensions.
Jan Smith spoke to Express.co.uk after her eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment was stripped for this year. Adding “insult to injury”, Mrs Smith said her husband, Terry, now also has to pay tax on his income.
Mr Smith’s income – which Mrs Smith says combines the state pension and a “very small annuity”, now marginally exceeds the personal allowance threshold, which means he must now pay tax.
Mrs Smith told Express.co.uk: “To add insult to injury my husband, Terry, now has to pay tax on his State Pension, (his only source, apart from a very small annuity of about £500 per annum) It exceeds the personal allowance of £12,570, so he is liable to pay tax on £1,499 of the total sum of £14,069.
“Putting it another way, a large portion of the triple lock increase applicable from April 2024, will be returned to the Treasury by means of taxation.”
She then questioned: “Why can’t you fill your so-called ‘black hole’ by taxing those most able to contribute?”
The changes to the Winter Fuel Payment eligibility criteria are estimated to save public finances around £1.4billion.
