Winter Fuel Allowance

Stella14

It’s £100 per person now. It used to be £200 per household when one party reached the eligible age. Now single pensioners only get £100. Given that heating bills haven’t gone down and in fact keep rising, why isn’t this receiving any publicly?

Why isn't this receiving any publicity? It's because what you are saying is wrong.

This from the government website:

www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-much-youll-get

If you live alone or no one you live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment

You’ll get either:

• 200 if you were born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959

• £300 if you were born before 22 September 1945

Thank you for clarifying PaynesGray.

That had me having a quick flip of worry that my money would only be £100 - instead of £200. Right - sorted - £200 per household (which would be, in effect, £100 per person if one was married/living together - as the £200 would be shared between you both).

So £200 to my house - which uses just as much fuel as a couple would do if they were living in it - but they'd be way better off all round....because couples always are all else being equal (ie with two of them to share the bills).

One day I would love to have back all the extra that bills have cost me over the years - because I've been the only one paying them - as Mr Cariad never existed. #sighs. I'd make sure to add my share of married persons tax allowance in there too - that I used to miss every year whilst it still existed.

Have just thought of another question for Chat GPT - "Why does society make single people worse off?"

What I don't agree with is pension credit makes up the amount to a full pension but and it's a big but
Why do they get cost of living allowance on top
Reduced council tax too
Free TV licence over 75
Lots of other things at Reduced cost with pension credit
Someone on full pension with small amount or no savings don't get these other benefits.
So by not working all your life you are so much better off. Hundreds of £s better off every year.
All pensioners on full pension should get these extras if they don't have savings or a small amount of savings or nobody should get it
It's definitely unfair

Actually I am in one sense better off since my husband died in that I get an increase in State Pension thanks to his contributions, and also get half his occupational pension as well as my own. Heating bills are the same (and so is WFA ) but Council Tax is discounted by 25% and water bills are less than before.
I appreciate that the same comments cannot be made for everyone and there is more than money to consider.

I'm 80 and have been advised I'll receive £300. It will be very welcome with the way prices of everything are constantly increasing.

I had my letter today for £300 as I was born before 22 September 1945.
However DH who also lives here had no letter but was also born before 22 September 1945.
Do you think a mistake has been made?. I read all the paperwork but no phone number to report a mistake.

See my post yesterday at 19:20.

If you or your partner receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income related Employment and Support Allowance, one person will be paid the whole Winter Fuel Payment for the household.

If you and your partner do not receive one of these benefits the payment is split between you and the other qualifying people you live with.

www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/benefits-entitlements/winter-fuel-payment/

No need to say but perhaps you come within one of the categories where the WFP is all paid to one person.

Perhaps you made a successful claim for Pension Credit as a result of what happened last year over WFP.

Are you replying to me PaynesGrey? Our combined income is over £35,000 and we get no benefits whatsoever. DH income is the higher proportion of our joint income .

In Scotland was always and is per household not each.

I believe that combined income isn’t counted for this purpose.
It is individual income which counts.
If one earns over the £35,000 they don’t get it but the other partner/ spouse will get it if under the threshold.
As usual this is unfair but that is the system.
I also understand that if you haven’t already notified DWP that you don’t want it paid you will receive it but will receive a new tax code which will claw the money back after time.
I read that if you receive £200 , £27 per month will be recovered.
This is all read in Google news so may not be 100% right.

Sorry that should read £17 per month.
Fat finger syndrome again.

JamesandJon33

Are you replying to me PaynesGrey? Our combined income is over £35,000 and we get no benefits whatsoever. DH income is the higher proportion of our joint income .

Is that case, I don't know why it isn't being paid £150 to each of you so that the sum paid to the household is £300.

Other than for people who have opted out of receiving WFP, it will be paid all pensioners who were 66 by the qualifying date and in accordance with their age(s) and household composition.

Those will an individual income over £35,000 will have to include it in their tax return for 2025/26 due by 31 January 2027.

Just for reference if you are not on PIP before you reach retirement age you cannot claim it after. You can only claim Attendance Allowance.

It's great that some people still get the heating allowance. We are just over the limit to receive benefits so don't qualify anymore. We are survivors so will cope without the allowance. We have been collecting any free wood we can for our log burner stove and probably have enough to enable us to keep warm for the winter without any other heating at all. We will continue to collect wood throughout the winter too. We put a pan of water on the stove to heat and use it to fill the kettle saving electricity as it invariably boils in less than a minute saving on the electricity too.
Brings back memories of making do when younger.

Human nature makes a difference to how people feel about receiving this benefit as much as rules do. Some will never be satisfied.

We are just over the limit to receive benefits so don't qualify anymore.

Your household will qualify for the fuel allowance if at least one of you is over state pension age, Sarahr. You don’t have to be on benefits to get it.

I have it in writing that I will receive £300 this year, as I am 82. Every little helps.

As I said upthread everyone of SP age will receive the payment unless you have opted out.
Those with incomes over £35,000 will then receive a new tax coding to retrieve the whole sum.
However if I understand correctly , in the case of a couple if one’s income is less than that threshold he/ she will receive it.

I am happy to be told I am wrong on that assumption.

Yes. So a couple with incomes of £35,000 each won't have to pay it back but a single householder with an income of £35,001 will have to pay it back.

And that's why means testing is so deliberately divisive.

Not that anyone with those levels of income and no rent or mortage to pay should need help but then nor does someone with an income of £34,999.

What the goverment has done with this J turn is substitute one divisive means test with another.

And why isn't the government helping those people with what is the national average wage or below who does have rent or mortgage to pay?

DaisyAnneReturns

Human nature makes a difference to how people feel about receiving this benefit as much as rules do. Some will never be satisfied.

Exactly. Whatever the government do, they can’t suit everyone, and there’ll always be someone who thinks they’re being treated unfairly. I’ll take the £200 and be thankful.

So much sharing of useful info. Thanks.

Yes. So a couple with incomes of £35,000 each won't have to pay it back but a single householder with an income of £35,001 will have to pay it back. [PaynesGrey]

I'm not sure why that's divisive? I think treating one group (benefits) by household and another (taxes) by individual, may be.

We just received notification of our payments. I've always thought it should have been a payment per property and it was unfair that a couple received £600 when a single person only received £300 as the heating costs for both would be very similar if living in similar properties.

JamesandJon33

I had my letter today for £300 as I was born before 22 September 1945.
However DH who also lives here had no letter but was also born before 22 September 1945.
Do you think a mistake has been made?. I read all the paperwork but no phone number to report a mistake.

We've had separate letters, JamesandJon33, we will get £150 each. Both born before that date too.

PaynesGrey

Yes. So a couple with incomes of £35,000 each won't have to pay it back but a single householder with an income of £35,001 will have to pay it back.

And that's why means testing is so deliberately divisive.

Not that anyone with those levels of income and no rent or mortage to pay should need help but then nor does someone with an income of £34,999.

What the goverment has done with this J turn is substitute one divisive means test with another.

And why isn't the government helping those people with what is the national average wage or below who does have rent or mortgage to pay?

Yes. So a couple with incomes of £35,000 each won't have to pay it back but a single householder with an income of £35,001 will have to pay it back.

So presumably someone with an income of £35,001 will have to pay the whole £150 back, it is not on a sliding scale?

Surely the administration will not make this cost-effective?