[jambutty]

It’s all very well giving the elderly and infirm extra money to help pay for the energy bills if they apply for it but that is just papering over the cracks. And don’t forget the cost of setting up yet another Quango to process the claims.

A major pension/disability allowance increase would be in order.

The government pays each pensioner a state pension every week. Prior to Xmas they all get the annual heating allowance with their pensions. The government pays out disability benefits every week or month. So the government knows exactly who would be entitled to any extra benefits for fuel bills. There should be no need to make a claim. But this government also knows that tens of thousands of eligible people will not claim for one reason or another and thus the overall cost to the government will be less than paying them all automatically. Except that the cost of running the new Quango would eat up any savings. But there would be fewer people on the dole so the government could brag about that.