Winter Fuel Allowance

[Anna]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

Anna - Has entitlement to this benefit altered since you moved to France ?

If not then I'm afraid it was just part of the equation, a factor in the mix when you decided to move - sorry !

[/quote]

Hi Russethouse, no it hasn't altered since we moved to France but, as I wasn't "of an age" then, I never even gave it a thought! Not that it would have made any difference in our decision to move! I just like to gripe about it as my neighbour, who obviously has sensed this, loves to wind me up about the fact that he gets the allowance, although wasn't actually living in the UK when payment began. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, he qualified by being resident in the UK in the September before his 60th birthday. It's not so much the money, although it would certainly be appreciated, but, in my view, the unfairness of the stupid qualifying rules! I think, it should either be means tested, or paid to everyone who qualifies for a UK state pension, in which case it should then be paid to all pensioners living abroad or to only those living in the UK.

Anna

[NormanH]

"he qualified by being resident in the UK in the September before his 60th birthday"

Does this mean that someone resident in France in the September before his 60th birthday wouldn't get it even if he moved back to the UK?

[Anna]

[quote user="Quillan"]

Just as a matter of interest do people get the Cold Weather Allowance of £8.50 per week (I think that's the right amount) from the UK when its activated or whatever you want to call it?

Oops I got that from the Help the Aged website, now I have found it on the direct.gov.uk website and its £25 per week. I assume they are talking about one and the same thing.

[/quote]

Shouldn't think so as I doubt if your area in France would ever be taken into consideration to activate this allowance!

This is what the government website states:

If you're on a low income, a Cold Weather Payment will help you with extra heating costs during very cold weather in your area.

Who is eligible?

You may be eligible for a Cold Weather Payment for each week of very cold weather in your area if you get Pension Credit.

You may also be eligible for a Cold Weather Payment for each qualifying week if you are getting Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance and have a child under five or get one of the following: 

• a pensioner premium, higher pensioner premium or enhanced pensioner premium

• a disability premium or severe disability premium

• a disabled child premium

• Child Tax Credit that includes an individual element for a child or qualifying young person who is disabled or severely disabled 

Anna 

 

[Quillan]

[quote user="Frederick"]
  For a couple its £125 each....one off payment paid October / November .. for maried couples it comes as a shared payment....they assume your wife chips in towards the fuel costs and you can get it from her before she gets to Debenhams ![/quote]

Are we talking about the same thing.:

"How much do you get?

This year you will get £25 when the average temperature where you live is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days during the period from 1 November to 31 March. Specified Meteorological Office weather stations are used to obtain this information." Source.: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Over50s/Benefits/ConcessionsAndOtherHelp/DG_10018668

Because if we are then it just not on people claiming this money from abroad. Don't forget its those working now that are paying for those claiming just as I effectivly paid for my parents pensions.

[Anna]

[quote user="NormanH"]"he qualified by being resident in the UK in the September before his 60th birthday"
Does this mean that someone resident in France in the September before his 60th birthday wouldn't get it even if he moved back to the UK?
[/quote]

Not for that year but I think I'm correct in saying that, if a person was to move back to become a resident in the UK on any of the following year's qualifying dates (at present, the dates are in September), and is over 60, then he would qualify for the allowance. In other words, for each year a person is resident in the UK on the qualifying date, he will receive the allowance. Also, once in receipt of the allowance you do not need to re-apply. The payment will then be automatic. You must only notify the department if there is a change, such as not being a UK resident on a subsequent qualifying date. However, if you are already in receipt of this allowance and then move out of the UK, you will still qualify to receive the allowance even although you will not be resident in the UK on any of the following qualifying dates......this, to me, is the silly part!

Anna

PS The Winter Fuel Allowance and the Cold Weather Payment are totally different

[tuppence]

I would query this business of when you should receive the allowance and what dates apply. I left the UK permanently on 2nd September 2007 , 14 days after my 60th birthday. To qualify for winter fuel allowance I had to be resident in the UK  'from 16th September of that year' to receive the allowance. It seems that there are multiple answers to the question of where and when to qualify, but based on Anna's post I might now query it. Who knows I might [8-)] yet get it backdated as I was actually living in the UK when I reached 60!!

tuppence

[Anna]

[quote user="tuppence"]

I would query this business of when you should receive the allowance and what dates apply. I left the UK permanently on 2nd September 2007 , 14 days after my 60th birthday. To qualify for winter fuel allowance I had to be resident in the UK  'from 16th September of that year' to receive the allowance. It seems that there are multiple answers to the question of where and when to qualify, but based on Anna's post I might now query it. Who knows I might [8-)] yet get it backdated as I was actually living in the UK when I reached 60!!

tuppence

[/quote]

Forgive me as Maths was never my strong point! So you were resident in the UK between the 18th and the 24th Sept 2006 and you would have been 59 (your birthday is the 20th August?....if so, same as my son's!). If this is correct, then you were resident in the UK on the 2006 qualifying date (being the Sept before your 60th).

Therefore, I think you should have been eligible to receive the Winter Fuel Allowance from November 2006. You should fill out a form to claim and be able to claim back payments. You can download the forms from the website. You may have to prove that you were indeed a Uk resident at the time. Here is the link for more details:

http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/winterfuel/livingabroad.asp#q9

Good luck and do let us know if you're successful!

Anna

[Russethouse]

Doesn't seem logical, surely you have to be 60 and be resident in the UK on the 16th September.

Having said that, no harm in asking is there ?

[Anna]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

Doesn't seem logical, surely you have to be 60 and be resident in the UK on the 16th September.

Having said that, no harm in asking is there ?

[/quote]

It's certainly not logical! However, you have to 59 not 60 on the September qualifying date (which varies from year to year but seems to always be in Sept) to be eligible to receive the allowance in the November of that year. So, even if your 60th birthday didn't fall until, say the beginning of the following Sept, you would still qualify for payment in the November before.

In my neighbour's case, for example, he was resident in the UK on the Sept 05 qualifying date, moved permanently to France in the October of that year, had his 60th (it was a good bash!) in early Nov and received his UK Winter Heating Allowance also in November that year (probably paid for his birthday bash!!). He now receives the allowance every year without having to apply and he has been resident in France since moving over in 2005.

Anna

PS Off now to do some strenuous housework to keep warm as can't afford to put the heating on lol!!

 

[tuppence]

OK everyone listen up!!  Just phoned the Pension Service in Newcastle and their answer was as follows:_

To qualify for payment of winter  heating allowance you have to be resident in the UK during the 3rd week of September of a qualifying year AND be 60 years old or more.

Therefore it is with a sad heart that I can categorically say that I will not be receiving any monies from said service because I left the UK two weeks too soon!![:(]  Anyone who is claiming this allowance and doesn't fulfil the criteria required is doing so fraudently.

tuppence 

[Jonzjob]

Me too as we left the U.K. in the August after my 60th in the July. We may just send the form in and see what happens?

[tuppence]

to Jonzjob,

It would be nice to think we could qualify, but I'm not holding my breath. However, because I didn't pay any tax in France last year (only here for 4 months) and have bought fuel this year I DO get  a 200€ amount in January fom the Impots. So I am not complaining[;-)]

tuppence

[powerdesal]

Do you have to be getting a UK state pension to get the allowance? My wife was over 60 in September, but no pension. Do you think she qualifies?

 

Edit: I have answered my own question, the claim form needs her N I number, she is still a 'non-person' as far as N I numbers go so its another case of 'tough luck'

[splishsplash]

[quote user="tuppence"]

OK everyone listen up!!  Just phoned the Pension Service in Newcastle and their answer was as follows:_

To qualify for payment of winter  heating allowance you have to be resident in the UK during the 3rd week of September of a qualifying year AND be 60 years old or more.

[/quote]

We left the UK in February 2004 when my husband was 62. As he was working at that time, the good folks at Newcastle told us that he would not qualify for the winter fuel allowance & have refused it ever since.

Seems that it's better to sit on the dole than pay your dues for 40 years as he did......

[Hoddy]

I don't understand that splishsplash. I was living and still working in the UK when I was 60. I received the winter fuel payment and rang them up to say that I thought there must be some mistake as I was still working. I was assured that it was correct and the rather bad-tempered young women suggested that I could send it back if I didn't want it.

Hoddy

[mint]

Steve, I think she also needed to have been in the UK last September in the "relevant week", whichever week that was for this year.

Edit, do you think they'll buy it if I moved back for the month of September the year before I turn 60?  Only joking, no need to frown so hard!

[tuppence]

We left the UK in February 2004 when my husband was 62. As he was working at that time, the good folks at Newcastle told us that he would not qualify for the winter fuel allowance & have refused it ever since.
Seems that it's better to sit on the dole than pay your dues for 40 years as he did......

Hi,

I know many people who were working at the time of their 60th birthday and they successfully claimed their winter fuel allowance so the so-called good folk at Newcastle were talking out of their proverbial back sides. The criteria is age of claimant during the 3rd week in September. Like you said Splishsplash, we should go back as immigrants and have every benefit/allowance thrown at us[:D] I was a bit slow on the uptake when I phoned Newcastle as I could have said I moved over here PERMANENTLY after the 3rd week in September and then I would have got it!! But me being an honest person I didn't[:(]

tuppence

 

[splishsplash]

Sorry, now I am confused,

moh was living & working in the UK in September 2002 when he was 60, Sept 2003 when he was 61 & we left the following February, so why won't they pay him the allowance?

He filled in all the forms to this effect but they refused him.

Perhaps I'll phone them & check....

[Russethouse]

I hate to rub it in but OH didn't claim his, it just arived, and he works (self employed )

[Russethouse]

[quote user="powerdesal"]

Do you have to be getting a UK state pension to get the allowance? My wife was over 60 in September, but no pension. Do you think she qualifies?

 

Edit: I have answered my own question, the claim form needs her N I number, she is still a 'non-person' as far as N I numbers go so its another case of 'tough luck'

[/quote]

No progress via Paul Lewis then ? I'm sorry to hear that.

[powerdesal]

Thanks for the thought RH, no progress at all since HMRC sent a letter telling her officially that she did not exist!!! Who the he** have I been married to for the past 40 years, an alien????

[mint]

Well, Steve, if you don't know her by now, you're never going to, are you?

Don't worry, I'm not making fun; I just think that my own OH knows nothing about me either![:D]

[powerdesal]

Well Sweet, apart from being married for 40 years I actually first met my wife when she was about 6 yrs old. She was (is) the cousin of my then best friend, so yes, I think I know her quite well.

She actually finds it quite distressing to be effectively labelled as a 'non-existant' person by the UK authorities, despite having birth cert, marriage cert, driving licence, passport and having received family allowance for 3 children. I keep telling her not to worry about it but.......

[powerdesal]

[quote user="Puzzled"]

[quote user="powerdesal"]Thanks for the thought RH, no progress at all since HMRC sent a letter telling her officially that she did not exist!!! Who the he** have I been married to for the past 40 years, an alien????

[/quote]

I'd put a claim in anyway to protect your entitlement should your pension problem ever get sorted.

[/quote]

Thanks for the thought puzzled, but its not that simple. You dont 'put in a claim' as such. You apply for your pension, they ask for your NI number, you say you dont know it, they search, cant find it and so cannot prove your contribution record. Hence no entitlement to pension. They then search more rigourously (?) and the say ' sorry Madam, you dont exist, come back when your hubby is 65 - bye'

They do offer a new number but no contribution record.

No record = no pension = no E121

[mint]

That really is tough, Steve.  I wouldn't even know how to go about proving something so complicated.  Yet, we're supposed to live in a computerised impersonal society where everyone is reduced to a number and watched by Big Brother.

She's not been in the espionage business whereby she's assumed so many identities that she's impossible to track down, has she?

Sorry, in the recent dreadful weather, I've been reduced to reading too many spy stories.............