I grew up in the North East of England and can absolutely assure you that it’s common practice to say it there - or at least was in the 90s/00s. So I imagine, depending on where that commenter comes from, it might have been all they knew for a while that people around them said it...
I am in my 30sand had also never even heard anyone use it. I cannot imagine it is a common word unless you are a UKIP voter tbh