Pensions set to be fairer for all?

[Clevercat]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1323447/140-pension-Boost-stay-home-mums-married-couples.html

Lets hope this is as good as it sounds.

It sickens me the amount of elderly people who struggle to manage, and who have to worry about even heating their home.

[Monica Reyes]

I know an elderly couple who at the moment, cannot afford LPG for their tank and are sitting in their home, freezing , as the company that they rent the tank from will not allow them to have under £500 worth of gas in one go.

[Clevercat]

That is disgusting Monica

Can they be named and shamed for that??

[Monica Reyes]

I am fuming with them,all they want is enough to tide them over for a few weeks, but they will not allow it. The company fitted the tank and own it( it is underground) so I think that they are tied to the contract.

Not sure of the name of the company, but it isnt local to here.

[Clevercat]

Excuse my ignorance, but would a local company not be able to help with a small amount/>?

[Uncle Philip]

Excuse my ignorance, but would a local company not be able to help with a small amount/>?

When we lived in the sticks and ran from LPG we always kept a few small 'bottles' handy for just such occasions (being skint). It was only a matter of undoing a pipe and screwing the one from the bottles on. I can't see any reason why it should be the same if the feed is from a tank. Might be illegal these days strictly speaking though.

[Clevercat]

I think companies like that should be named and shamed publicly

How the hell can they judtify elderly people going cold

Fumimg myself now and I don't know them!!!!!!!!!

[Monica Reyes]

The tank is underground and there are no pipes showing at the surface its like a monopoly, they have no choice but to wait until they have enough money, and for the meantimes they go cold( they are using the last 5% of the gas before it goes under 25% which the company say is the lowest it can go. and are using it for hot water. They are heating one room with an electric heater at the moment.

[Clevercat]

Wish I were rich, I would give it to them then.

Wonder if they can get another leccy heater to help manage?

[Pete]

Playing devil's advocate... surely this couple would have known that there is a "minimum purchase amount" when they rented the tank? Common sense would suggest that they should have made sure they had the money to pay for it 

Pete

[Uncle Philip]

It might also be worth a look here too if one or both were born before 5 July 1950.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytaxandbenefits/benefitstaxcreditsandothersupport/inretirement/dg_10018657

[Monica Reyes]

Yes they are in there mid 70s so are entitled to it, but havent had it yet, plus they have some money tied up, it is a temporary situation, and they would buy a small amount if they were allowed to, but the company insist in bulk buying and they simply do not have the money at the moment.

Their situation is going to improve shortly, as they are moving, but until that happens they are stuck.Fingers crossed they will get sorted soon.

They have bought another heater for the bathroom, but I just think its awful that these companies have an almost monopoly as they tank is theirs:(

Yes Pete they know, but if they spend £500 now( even if they had it) it will be for someone else, plus when they got the tank the minimum was £100 worth, but they changed their policy a few years after they moved in.

[Pete]

Ah I see... I take it they currently own the house? If that's the case, couldn't they come to some agreement with the people who are buying it? who, after all, will have to put £500 worth of LPG in the tank anyway!

Who changed the policy? the couple or the tank owner?

Pete

[Mike Hawkins]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1323447/140-pension-Boost-stay-home-mums-married-couples.html

Lets hope this is as good as it sounds.

It sickens me the amount of elderly people who struggle to manage, and who have to worry about even heating their home.

BUT, "over the next five years".  I'm not going to hold my breath (well, whatever of it I shall have in 5 years time)!!
In the meantime, when I retire, I shall join the thousands before me who have had to struggle for having the audicity to pay insurance for 49 years so that those who haven't bothered, can get the same benefits!

[Monica Reyes]

The people buying it arent very accomodating so they dont want to rock the boat by asking them to top it up, in case it takes a few more weeks to finalise, the company changed the agreement. They used to let them have much less at a time, but now they cannot buy less than £500.