Am I the only one?

Thanks for all your comments. Yes that's right Germanshepherdsmum.
I've kept it separate expecting DWP to ask for refund.

My first thought was that you might have been receiving a joint pension, but that can't be the case as they sent you £500 separately.
As others have said, it is meant to be £500 per household. If 2 of you claim separate State Pensions you are paid £250 each.

You do need to get this sorted, as they will ask you to repay overpayment. I see they haven't asked for last year's, but once they realise, they will!
As you feel wary, I suggest that you either follow Pammie's advice and send a tracked letter, or:
I would ask at the local Library if there is an advice service such as CAB or other local service to help you in your contacts with DWP. Take all of your State Pension paperwork and ask their advice. In some circumstances they will phone DWP for you. They will also help you to draw up a letter if that is best.
You also need this sorting properly as it may affect other benefits or taxes.

I’ve got mine for £500, MrJ is too young at 61.

Thanks for coming back Nana. Do you mean that you received £500 and your husband also received £500 - a total of £1000? That definitely wouldn’t have been right. Should be £250 each. If you did get £500 each, you would be wise to keep £500 back. Otherwise, if you’re both getting the SP you should each get £250 - spend it!

M0nica

Nana56 there is no alternative to you contacting the pensions Agency and asking them why you are not getting these letters.

Ihave read the sentence in your post every possible way I can
Initially I didn't get application to apply and had several forms go missing, and phone calls etc. Therefore, i am wary of getting in touch. and no matter how Iread it I cannot make it make sense.

Why on earth should the fact that they messed everything up in the first place make you wary of contacting them again. I would be baraging them with calls, complaints etc etc until they got everything right.

I agree there’s no alternative to contacting them but I think Nana56 is right to be wary because DWP are a law unto themselves. Stuff regularly goes missing and when you send something to them they have a policy of ‘proof of posting is not proof of receipt.’ In other words a simple postage receipt isn’t enough if something goes missing - you need to use a tracked service which collects a signature on delivery.

I'm here!! I was entitled to the allowance and I have checked . We both got £500. As I said, no letters so only noticed when checked the bank statement. I have kept it to one side.
Initially getting the pension was a nightmare. No letter with code to apply so couldn't do it on line. Tried on line without invitation code and didn't work.
Spoke to DWP, Said I had failed security, but wasn't asked any and they wouldn't tell me what I was supposed to have been asked.
After many phone calls got application form. First one got lost fortunately with copies if certificates.
When I complained told me woukd register complaint.
Phoned again then git told no complaints dept.
Hence no confidence in DWP. Reluctant to phone due to past experience. Aghhh

Yes, he would.
I wonder whether Nana56 has decided that she was entitled to last year’s payment yet? And this year’s? She has disappeared.

I've just had the letter telling me that I'm getting £250 WFA, DH had his letter about a week ago, he is getting £350, I assume he gets more because he is 85.

Thanks

Yes, you should have received half of it. I wouldn’t wait until next year, I would contact DWP now to make sure their records are correct so they send you and your husband half each next year. Don’t wait for them to get it wrong again. They don’t seem to be the sharpest knives in the drawer.

Yes I am in receipt of SP. Does that mean I should have got some of the WFA ? I’ll have to make sure I get some next year.

DH and I have both received the letter. He got his a few days before me. Our will go to pay our massive gas bill, until Scottish Gas sort out the faulty smart meter.

Are you in receipt of the SP GrannyRose? If you’re not then the whole allowance would go to your husband.

My DH’s letter said he was only eligible for WFA if he didn’t live with anyone else who was eligible. He got £500: I got nothing.

I would still ring the \pensions agency and check up why you are not getting letters. It will never get sorted unless you do something about it.

I think you’re getting in a muddle Nana56 it’s £500 per household not each

I think the only criteria for winter fuel allowance is that you were born before 1957.
If you have previously had the payment then they have all your details, the lack of letter is probably the postal system.

Are you sure you both got £500? It should be £250 each.

I got my letter yesterday £250 it’s my first year. I think DH got £500 last year, it looks like they spilt the £50O now between us ?

I should have said that last year despite not getting a letter we both got £500. Kept to one side expecting a letter to repay.
They must have the correct address as the only letter I eventually got confirming my pension arrived. I have checked the information I originally sent is correct

As a retired civil servant who worked in benefits/pensions I would advise you to contact them and confirm that they are holding your correct address etc.
As has been said, you do not need to claim The Winter Fuel Payment and if you and your husband both receive State Pension it will be a payment made to both of you.

I got my WFP letter yesterday, for which I’m very grateful!

Heavenleigh Do you know why you do not get the heating allowance. Is it because you are too young or do not receive a UK state pension for some reason.

Quite separately we have both received our letters and no doubt the month end bank statement will show the payment

We both had letters last year and previous years. This year I got a letter just this past week. I now get the full £500 myself since DH died.

I have just done self- assessment for HMRC online and discovered I can also access full details of all my pensions and how each one is taxed, how much, tax codes etc, also NI history. Some of this information is newly accessible this year.

The one thing I can’t access information about ( except via the French website) is my tiny French pension, which is the reason I have to do self- assessment. France sends me an annual total but it is no use as it is in euros, and also their tax year is a calendar year.
Because I do SA I also have to add up all my savings interest and declare it. Some banks make this information easy to access, but with others it is hard work. If you don’t do SA, you don’t have to do this, as the banks inform HMRC. I am always worried that I might have missed something. Sorry to digress..

If you and your husband are receiving the state pension you are both entitled to the winter fuel payment - it’s one payment per pensioner household, half to you and half to your husband. For heaven’s sake spend it on your fuel bill! I’ve received a letter today, my husband hasn’t as yet, but that makes no difference - it goes into your bank account and you should use it.