Annual Winter Fuel Payment 2022

annsixty

Our £400 from EDF isn’t going from our monthly DD .
I received £67 last week directly into my bank.
Two payments of £67 and four of £66.

Although this £66/£67 is being paid to energy suppliers, some of them (eg: EDF), are then sending it back out back to the customers bank account.

Why would it be better for this other money be better being paid to Electricity suppliers? Are we now not able to manage our own accounts? I am more than happy that my bank account will receive this money and I can use it as necessary. Otherwise it will be that energy supply companies would have millions of pounds of our monies, in their banks - think they are getting more than enough without this extra.

Chestnut

DaisyAnne

annsixty

Our £400 from EDF isn’t going from our monthly DD .
I received £67 last week directly into my bank.
Two payments of £67 and four of £66.

It varies from company to company annsixty.

I had £67 paid direct into my Octopus account who took £67 less from my direct debit. Much better and simpler that way, and no chance of spending it elsewhere.

I can't agree that only a few people will spend their payment elsewhere if it goes straight into the bank account. If people are low on funds for food or other essentials they will spend it on those, and it won't be there for the energy bills.

I changed to Octopus before all this started, thanks to the good people of Gransnet. I will also sing its praises as they have done the same with me. On the basis that this government is more likely to take than to give (according to Mr Hunt), I am putting half the £67 into my recently set up "cost of living account". That is where much of what I have been "given" is going.

People are at liberty to spend their cost of living payments wherever the cost of living is hitting them or even to make a capital purchase to bring it down, or do something that keeps them sane as far as I am concerned.

I do not expect "the government to "give" me something and then tell me I do not know how to make the best use of it. Surely the days of punching holes in the back of children's "Welfare" shoes, so they couldn't sell them, have long gone. Or perhaps not in some people's heads.

DaisyAnne
The money was given for energy costs and that's where it should go. And just because you are capable of manging your money does not mean everyone is. Remember the feckless husband who took the housekeeping money out of the tin on the mantlepiece and spent it down the pub or on gambling? Do you think those people no longer exist?

I don't think it matters if the money goes in bank or fuel accounts, people on low incomes have always robbed Peter to pay Paul, for some it's the only way to manage - it's what my widowed-young mother did.

We had various scenarios... the roof leaked, electricity cut-off for non-payment, barely enough to eat, no money for coal, few treats, pawn shop, etc.

Any money went on what was the most pressing need at the time.

I can't agree that only a few people will spend their payment elsewhere if it goes straight into the bank account. If people are low on funds for food or other essentials they will spend it on those, and it won't be there for the energy bills.

That makes no sense, the payment is going into the same bank account that the direct debit comes out of!

Chestnut

DaisyAnne
The money was given for energy costs and that's where it should go. And just because you are capable of manging your money does not mean everyone is. Remember the feckless husband who took the housekeeping money out of the tin on the mantlepiece and spent it down the pub or on gambling? Do you think those people no longer exist?

Not all the money has been given directly for energy costs Chestnut. The benefits we have all received were to help with cost-of-living challenges generally.

No, I don't "remember" the "feckless" husband in your pejorative description. I do, however, remember people who drank to try and deal with mental health issues or the general extremes of life. But then, I have had difficulties dealing with some bits of life, so I don't expect anyone else to be perfect.

Rich and poor make less than the best decisions. The repercussions for the rich may be something they can buy their way out of; no one has to know about them. I imagine that being unable to feed your children, keep yourself warm, see a light at the end of the tunnel or deal with untreated physical or mental illness causes the occasional questionable decision, when there are no other choices available. The lack of agency caused by poverty, the loss of all you have worked for, can even cause your choice to be to take the most extreme way out.

From your post, you appear to have no idea of the challenges some people face, the ways these escalate and just how little help there is in working through dealing with them. I don't think you are a bad person, but I do think you have very little imagination.

Bulb have done the same as Octopus. I have stuck with them until their Administration is sorted one way or another. There was a rumour earlier in the year that Octopus were going to take them over, but it never materialised. I might swap to Octopus if and when I can, as I DO NOT WANT BG.

I think Octopus were lucky in that they came in as a technology-based company and did not have to make the expensive changes other companies did.

Once money goes into a bank account it is just one pool of money. How can anyone know whether any specific energy bill is being met by the cash in the pool in the bank that cme from the Winter fuel Allowance and not the money in the bank account that came,s ay from a small win on the Lottery.

To take Chestnut's argument to its obvious conclusion. Should snyone of any age be given any money for anything by the government, unless exactly they are supervised every step of the way. deckless husbands are not limited to the elderly, nor feckless wives, bullying abusing husbands, wives, children, sons, daughters.

Let us treat older people like the sensible grounded people they really are, no more likely to mispend money than anyone else, and if the occasional one cjooses to spend the money on whisky, cigarettes and wild wild women and then freeze to death, so what?

I have received a letter today from the DWP advising of the payment due to me. It will be paid during November and December. I have never needed to claim it.

Good to hear they have started on it. You have never needed to claim it, as you say.

It has gone up so much this year that I can't for the life of me, think why they don't take the opportunity to get rid of the £10 Christmas bonus and say they had been rolled in together.

I don’t think they should get rid of the Christmas bonus on principle, and it isn’t only paid to pensioners. I’ve received it for years because I had DLA and now PIP. It may seem like a piffling smount, but when you have very little any funds are welcome. I have always donated mine to a local charity.

I do not want people to get £10 less. I don't spend my time researching and putting together details of benefits on GN to deprive people in any way! Can you imagine how much it actually costs to send this out. All these groups get it:

Adult Disability Payment
Armed Forces Independence Payment
Attendance Allowance
Carer’s Allowance
Child Disability Payment
Constant Attendance Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (once the main phase of the benefit is entered after the first 13 weeks of claim)
Disability Living Allowance
Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
Industrial Death Benefit (for widows or widowers)
Mobility Supplement
Pension Credit - the guarantee element
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
Severe Disablement Allowance (transitionally protected)
Unemployability Supplement or Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
War Disablement Pension at State Pension age
War Widow’s Pension
Widowed Mother’s Allowance
Widowed Parent’s Allowance
Widow’s Pension

The could start with the Pensioner's £10. It would be perfectly reasonable to say it has been rolled into the rise into the increase in WFP as it is a big jump and some of that rise is only for this year. They could ensure the £10 remained added to it in future years. There would be ways it could be added to other benefits for other eligible groups too.

We (DH and I) received letters this week re the Winter Fuel Allowance. We will receive £250 each = £500. In previous years it was £100 each = £200. The £300 extra is for all of pensionable age. Additionally we are receiving £66 a month (ours is paid direct to Shell) for fuel costs. I put the heating on yesterday!

My letter came a few days back.

So is this 400 on top of our normal winter fuel payment?
How can it be paid to our supplier? How do they know who that Is?

kircubbin2000

So is this 400 on top of our normal winter fuel payment?
How can it be paid to our supplier? How do they know who that Is?

This is an addition to the winter fuel payment and paid in the same way nothing to do with your supplier

I look forward to getting it but I think a lot of you are worrying too much about how it should be spent. Once it is in your account you can do what you want with it.
Last year N ireland had a £100 shopping card scheme and the agonising went on about whether we could buy petrol or alcohol with it. If it's in your bank you are free to choose.

I have only just seen your angry response to me Daisy Anne. I don’t know what it was about my post that aroused your ire but there was no need for that.

Could someone explain this to me please as this is the first time I've ever received the winter fuel payment and don't really understand the whole thing .
I had a letter last week informing me that I qualify for £500 winter fuel payment. However this week it was £340 which was deposited in my account.. any ideas why Please anyone ?

sorry...not £340... but £324

This should explain Ailsa43 money for certain categories of people.
www.gov.uk/government/news/over-eight-million-households-to-receive-second-cost-of-living-payment-from-8-november-1

Were you in receipt of pension credit or Universal Credit between 26/8/22 and 25/9/22*Ailsa 43* ? as £324 is the cost of living payment, payable to those on those benefits ( and some others) If you qualify for this and the pensioner cost of living payment you get both,

The (regular) winter fuel payment and 2022 cost of living payment are two different things:
www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment#:~:text=This%20is%20known%20as%20a,in%20winter%202022%20to%202023.

The £324 is, indeed, the second part of a cost-of-living payment that has gone to people on certain benefits.

Your £500 should come before the end of November Ailsa. This is the enhanced amount of Winter Fuel Payment. They are saying it will go back down next year.

If you receive a payment from the DWP you can get an idea what it is from your bank statement. For example: DWP SP in the description is State Pension. DWP PC is Pension Credit. Next to the £324 you will see DWP COL. If you put that in Google (do not put the rest of the description as that is your NI number) it should tell you which payment it stands for.