Winter Fuel Payment – Best plan for people over 60

A special kind of heating allowance for people over 60 years of age, Winter Fuel Payment is paid during the winter months of November and December. It can be a tax free amount that stretches from anything between £100 and £300 given to the senior citizens annually. It is given only under some specific and pre-defined conditions. You need to first qualify for these conditions to get this heating allowance.

What are the qualifying factors for the Winter Fuel Payment?

For the year of 2015-16, you need to meet the following criteria:

• Your birth date should be on or before the 5^th January 1953

• You should be continuously living in the United Kingdom since at least from 21-27 September 2015

You will not be qualified for the Sept 21-27 2015 if:

• You are serving a prison sentence

• You are getting free treatment in a UK based hospital for more than 52 weeks

• If you are under the scrutiny of immigration control and are not supported by the department of Work and Pensions.

• If you are living in a hospital or care home

• If you have lived in any of these places – Portugal, France, Greece, Spain, Malta, Gibraltar and Cyprus.

What would be the exact amount of winter fuel allowance?

It depends on your situation and energy supplier. Other factors could be:

• Your age as per the qualifying period.

• Number of qualifying persons in the household

• Whether you are getting pension Credit or not

• Whether you share your home with anyone who gets Support Allowance and other perks.

• Many more…check with your supplier

Is it possible to get the Winter Fuel Payment for a couple?

It is possible if your partner is already receiving any of these – Pension Credit, Job Seeker’s allowance or Employment and Support allowance.

For some who share their homes with other person, there is a provision of shared payment which will again depend upon your situation.

One needs to make a claim for Winter Fuel Payment if you are getting Child Benefit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit.

Mind it that the claim needs to be made just once and the payments would be automatically given every year. You need to inform the Winter Fuel Payment team if you are shifting the house or going abroad or are joined by a partner who would share your home.

The claim should also be made when you are not provided with any one of the below mentioned benefits by the qualifying week of 21-27 September 2015:

• State Pension
• War Pension
• Pension Credit
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Widow’s Benefit
• Incapacity Benefit
• Industrial Injuries Benefits
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Income Support
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Attendance Allowance
• Bereavement Benefit
• Carer’s Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance
• Graduated Retirement Benefit

If you have received this allowance earlier and now your circumstances have changed then you need to make a claim for Winter Fuel Payments.

To apply, just visit the website DirectGov and download the claim form. You can also call on the number 03459151515 to request a claim form to be sent to you by post. Filled in forms should be returned to the address given on the website.

For more details about UK energy suppliers and comparison of their quotes to find the cheapest energy bills, just check our website freepricecompare.com or call us on 02034757476.

Shay Ramani