I welcome the increased Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners. I would now like to see the basic state pension rise and for it to be linked again to earnings as we promised. As for the energy companies, they should be nationalised. At the moment, tax payers are subsidising the energy company profits with the winter fuel payment. This is bad for pensioners, bad for the tax payer.

There is no "Fair Deal for Pensioners" when you discriminate on which country they live in as to whether you freeze their pensions or not. e.g. Live in USA pension not frozen, live in Australia, pension frozen. We claim the UK Government is in breach both of its fiduciary trust on our behalf and its discrimination against us because of where we live; this is in breach of the UK Human Rights Act, and the EU Convention on Human Rights.

The energy companies should have special tariffs for the elderly at a lower rate agreed by the government, this would be one way of assuring that all elderly have access to heat and lighting at a reasonable rate. It would also make them ethically responsible and give something back to the community for social needs. If they refuse to co-operate then a windfall tax should be used to fund the winter season for the elderly, and not before Christmas either, after that season as the money would not be used to fund the utilies. Hard, but sensible. I'm retired but pay my bills each month so that I can afford to have the heating on, it takes up nearly 27% of my pension and that of my husband, it is a big expense. I would also like to see the elderly have their heating bills vat free that would also release funds to them directly. I think you should start this taffif on 65, with the below that eg. 60 having a different tariff a graduated system depending on age and income.