With winter quickly creeping up on us, for many people especially older people in the community, it is a time of some concern. Higher gas and electricity bills are inevitable, however, this winter the government, will again, be making Winter Fuel Payments to pensioners, and the amount has been increased to £100 for each pensioner household that qualifies.

All Winter Fuel payments will be made before Christmas, and if you qualify you will be paid automatically.

A Winter Fuel Payment is not the same as a Cold Weather Payment, which is paid to vulnerable people getting Income Support - including pensioners - when there is a period of cold weather in the area.

You should automatically get a Winter Fuel Payment if any one of the following applies to you:

• You get Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and you and your partner are aged 60 or over.
• You get a state Retirement Pension (sometimes called ‘basic pension’, ‘old age pension’ or ‘graduated pension’).
• You are a woman aged 60 or over, or a man age 65 or over, and you get any of the following benefits:
  
  
• Attendance Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit
• Industrial Injuries Benefit
• Invalid Care Allowance
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• War Disablement Allowance
• War Widow’s Pension or Temporary Allowance for Widows
• Widow’s Allowance

You must be getting one of these benefits for at least one day during the week starting 20th September 1999 to qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment.

If you or your partner are eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment you should receive your payment to your home address between 8th November and 15 November.

This money cannot be paid if:

• On 20th September 1999, you have been in hospital for more than 52 weeks, you will not get a payment
• If you live with your husband, wife or partner who qualifies for a payment of £100 because they get Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, only they will qualify for the payment - you will not get the payment
• If you do not normally live in Great Britain, you will not get a payment
• If you get Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and you are permanently in a nursing home, residential care or local authority residential accommodation, you are unlikely to get a payment.

Payment Method

• If you or your partner are aged 60 or over and are receiving Income Support or income based Jobseeker’s Allowance you will be sent a GIRO cheque to your home address. You will need to cash the GIRO cheque within one month of the date shown on it. You can cash the cheque at your local post office or you can pay it into your bank or building society account. If you do not get your Winter Fuel payment by 30 November you should phone the helpline on 0645 15 15 15.
• If you get a State Retirement Pension (basic pension, old age pension or graduated pension), if you qualify, you should get a Winter Fuel Payment of either £50 or £100 between 15 November and 15 December 1999. You should get a payment of £100 if you live alone or are the only person in the household who qualifies for a payment. If there are other people in the house who qualify for a payment, you should get £50 each. For example for a married couple who both receive pensions you should each get £50. You should not worry if you do not get the payments at the same time. You will be sent a GIRO cheque to the post office where you collect your pension. You will be able to cash the GIRO cheque at the same time, or you can pay it into your bank or building society. If someone normally collects your pension for you, they should also be able to collect the GIRO cheque for you, but you will need to sign it before they can cash it. If your GIRO cheque has not been given to you before the 15 December, you should make enquiries at your regular Post Office.
• If you are a woman aged 60 or over, or a man aged 65 or over and get the listed state benefits you should receive £100 if you live alone or are the only person in the household that qualifies for a payment. If there are other people living in the household who qualify for a payment, you should receive £50 each. Payment will be made between 15 November and 15 December. You will either be sent a GIRO cheque or a ‘payable order’ to your home address, or it will be paid into your bank or building society account. If you get Widow’s Benefit and normally collect it at the post office, the GIRO cheque will be sent directly to the post office. If you get a GIRO cheque, you will need to cash it within one month of the date shown on it. If your money is paid into your bank or building society account, you will be sent a letter telling you when the payment is being made.

In all cases you should not have to do anything to get your Winter Fuel Payment. If you qualify, it should be paid to you automatically.