Energy: Winter Fuel Payment Debate
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Lord Stoneham of Droxford
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Energy: Winter Fuel Payment
Lord Stoneham of Droxford Excerpts(13 years ago)
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Lord Freud
Yes, you can keep your winter fuel payment only if you go to another European country, so if it is being obtained by someone in Trinidad, the noble Baroness might make a call to Crimestoppers or someone.
Lord Stoneham of Droxford
Does not my noble friend agree that it would be fairer to tax the winter fuel allowance and use the money to ease the burden of his housing benefit reforms?
Lord Freud
My Lords, clearly, one can look at how one treats this, but essentially it is a simple payment. It is one of the universal payments to pensioners along with the state pension, additional pension and passported benefits such as NHS prescriptions. That is how it is designed. It would be rather complicated and expensive to tax it.