Winter fuel ££ age 60 and over !

[pipme]

Any 60 plus family / friends ?
Make sure they know ....
http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/resource_centre/winterfuel.asp

What is a Winter Fuel Payment?
A Winter Fuel Payment is an annual payment to help people aged 60 and over with their winter heating bills.
If you're aged 60 or over, you could be entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment to help with your heating bills in winter.
Most/ people get these paid automatically, but to find out if you need to make a claim, you can contact the helpline or call them on 0845 9 15 15 15 (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm, calls are charged at the local rate).
Find out more about Winter Fuel Payments on the Winter Fuel section of this website.

I was talking budget to some 60 and overs -- two of them thought they would have to be 65 for fuel payment ??? -- They had not been 'automatically paid' and they would not be, because only people recieving benefits recieve it automatically, others HAVE TO CLAIM ...... The booklet or web site does not make this abundantly clear ...

 

[pipme]

How to skin the oldies !! Butch Brown and the Sunset kid

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3093546.stm

Past winters
Winter Fuel Payments were introduced from the winter of 1997/98. Payments for backdated claims can be made for the years 1997/98 to 1999/2000. From 2000/01 time limits for claims were introduced. This means that payments usually cannot be made for late claims for any of the years 2000/01 to 2003/04. Claims for these years had to be made by 30 March for that winter, for example, a claim for winter 2002/03 had to be made by 30 March 2003.

An accountant friend pointed this out .... Consensus is, the barstewards are trying to
a) Make it difficult to find the info which categorically states 60 and over gets the dosh. .. with a few caveats.
b) Set time limit for claiming ....
a) and b) ensure not everyone receives their rightful dosh !!

http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/resource_centre/winterfuel.asp

Is everybody aged 60 or over entitled to
a Winter Fuel Payment?

You must be aged 60 or over on or before 26 September 2004
to qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment for the winter of
2004/2005.
But, even if you are aged 60 or over, you will not
get a Winter Fuel Payment if, during the week of 20 to 26
September 2004, you:
# do not normally live in Great Britain or Northern Ireland
(there are exceptions to this, see note 1 on page 10);
# are in hospital receiving free inpatient treatment and have
been receiving such treatment for more than 52 weeks;
# live with your husband, wife or partner (see note 2 on
page 10) and they receive Pension Credit or income-based
Jobseeker's Allowance (they will qualify for a £200 Winter
Fuel Payment which is for both of you);
# are in custody under sentence (not on remand);
# are subject to immigration control and not eligible for help
from the Department for Work and Pensions (for example,
an asylum seeker who claimed asylum at the port of entry
after 3 April 2000); or
# are living in a care home (see note 3 below) and have been
doing so throughout that week and the 12 weeks before,
and get Pension Credit, or income-based Jobseeker's
Allowance.

Have just spoken to a friend aged 66 he received a winter payment, after going on 'benefit in the form of Old age pension' But did not get a thing before that, not all the years he was eligible .. from age 60 !! Still as I said "don't worry, 'powers that be' probably went out of their way to give that dosh to someone more deserving ..."
How many other areas of our lives have such hidden benefits ?
I wouldn't pay Brown in co-op checks ... he smiles, whilst some poor oldies die of the cold ... Another 'trustworthy, honest' Prime Minister ... ?
Brushes and tar ..