A Winter Fuel Payment is made each year to those aged over 60. It is to help
with the ever-increasing cost of keeping warm in the winter months. Between the
ages of 60 to 79 you are entitled to a payment of either £125 or £250. The sum
depends upon what your circumstances were during the qualifying week of 15th to
21st September 2008
See Also - Cold Weather
Payments
If you are over 80 years old and you are entitled to this winter fuel
payment, you will get either £200 or £400. (Again, this depends
upon your circumstances during the qualifying week!) You may need to make a claim for this
winter payment, so make sure
that you do this before 30th March 2008 or you could lose your
fuel payment entitlement for this current winter.
The good news is, THERE IS NO TAX to pay on this winter fuel payment!
If you do not get your 2008 -
2009winter fuel payment automatically, then If you will need to
claim for payment for the winter of 2008 - 09, You MUST claim and
make sure that your form is returned on or before 30 March
2009.
The bad news is, THE MINIMUM AGE will rise from 60yrs to 65 between now and
2010! It is also assumed that this age qualification will rise even further
after that maybe to 68 or so for this fuel allowance!
What is this qualifying period about?
As long as you were 60 or over during the week
of 15th - 21st September, and you were living in the Great Britain or Northern Ireland, then
you should be 'qualified for the payment.
HOWEVER if you were in hospital at that time, and were in hospital for the
year before that (for the full year) then you will not get the payment. The same
is true if you were in Jail! (Nice of them to lump the ill and jail inmates
together!
You will also have problems getting the winter fuel payment if you are an
illegal immigrant!
Couples, who receive Pension Credit, will only get
one payment to the one who
receives the Pension Credit. Other couple will normally get £100 each (£200 per
home) if they are both over and qualify as above.
When and How?
If you received your fuel payment last year for
last winter, then you should automatically get it
this year without having to do anything.
If you did not receive your fuel payment last
year because you were not entitled to it but were 60 or over during weeks of
15 - 21st d September 2008 AND were
receiving your state pension (or other type of social security payments other
than Normal Housing Benefit, Child Benefit or Council Tax Benefit) then you
should also get your winter fuel payment automatically.
It is either paid into your Bank direct, or a post office account, or
possibly by cheque at the address where you live. You should get a letter
telling you how you will be paid.
If you are getting your payment for the first time this year, you can have
the money paid direct into your bank account.
Circumstances that affect the amount of payment.
Provided you qualify by age etc and you live alone or you are the only
person where you live who qualifies for this payment, then you should get £250
if you are between 60 and 79, or £400 if you are over the age of 80.
If you qualify and live with someone else aged between 60 and 79 you should
get £100 each (£200 per house). OR
£150 each, if you are both over the age of 80. If it is just you that is over
80, then you should get £200 and the other person(s) between 60 and 79 should
get £100 each. THIS IS CHANGING to a higher Age rate by 2010
The payments should reach you between early November and Christmas this year.
If you have changed your address or any of your circumstances have changed
such as bank details, then notify
Winter Fuel Payment Centre
Southgate House
Cardiff Central
Royal Mail
Cardiff
CF91 1ZH
Have you had any good or bad experiences in these matters that you would
like to tell us about. If they are helpful - or critical - we may publish them
the assist others.
Mail us here
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