Winter fuel allowance decreased

Katykat

Mum is 85, & lives in a care home for which she pays all her fees ( we had to sell her house) She gets a basic state pension & attendance allowance. Last winter she had been in the home for 3 months but she still got £300 WFA. This year it has been reduced to £200. I rang to enquire & was told that this is correct. It doesn't really seem right to do this, the care fees don't reduce at all, although she doesn't get hit with extra bills in winter, it is all accumulated over the year into regular weekly payments. Anyone else had this happen?

Valley's_girl

Hi sorry I don't have any advice I can give you but I am sure someone will be along shortly who will be able to advise you.

Best wishes
Ally x

redz

Seems to be correct. Looks like the government have scrapped the age related payments which were paid with the Winter Fuel Allowance.

Oldernotwiser

Does this cover your mother's situation?


"Then you will get:

• £125 each if you are both (or all, if you live with more than one other person) aged 60 to 79
• £200 each if you and at least one other person in your household, are aged 80 or over, or
• £275 if you are the only person aged 80 or over (other people in the household who qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment will get £125).

If you live in a care home, an independent hospital or Ilford Park Polish Resettlement Home and, during the week of 15-21 September 2008, you are not getting Pension Credit or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, you should get:

• £125 if you are aged 60 to 79, or
• £200 if you are aged 80 or over.

Katykat

Oldernotwiser- may I ask where you got this information from? It would explain why. However, I have had a letter today from DWP ( I have Power of attorney ) and they've explained that she has been allocated a "shared allowance" as there is another person in the household who has received an allowance. I think they assume that she lives with me and that I get the other half ( the over 80 WFA is actually £400 this year). In fact, neither of these are true, so I'm going to challenge it.

calleyw

Katykat wrote: »

Oldernotwiser- may I ask where you got this information from? It would explain why. However, I have had a letter today from DWP ( I have Power of attorney ) and they've explained that she has been allocated a "shared allowance" as there is another person in the household who has received an allowance. I think they assume that she lives with me and that I get the other half ( the over 80 WFA is actually £400 this year). In fact, neither of these are true, so I'm going to challenge it.

From here

It states if she gets pension credit and lives in a care home she gets nothing at all otherwise £200. So it does seem correct.


Yours

Calley

Katykat

So it seems correct then. I thought it would help towards the fees, but it seems she has once again been stung by the system. Thanks folks

Conor_3

Katykat wrote: »

So it seems correct then. I thought it would help towards the fees, but it seems she has once again been stung by the system. Thanks folks

For the love of god....

Yet again we have an example of why pensioners are claiming they can't afford the heating in winter despite being given a benefit that more than covers it.

WINTER FUEL ALLOWANCE IS TO PAY THE HEATING BILLS. It's not to pay for care home fees, it's not to buy the grandkids Xmas presents....

The sooner they go onto a voucher scheme, the better.

roddydogs

Why does someone in a care home need ANY Fuel allowance?

lynzpower

Exactly roddy, my understanding is that the fees come generally on an "all inclusive basis"

SandC

When my mum received her WFA plus extra for my dad who is in a care home she rang them up immediately to let them know they had got it wrong and surely she should not be getting payment for him when he has his fuel covered by the nursing home fees we pay. They assured it was correct and that they receive a part payment regardless of where they live.

We still think it's a tad daft ourselves because it is supposed to be for fuel and anyone in a nursing home would never have to worry about that.

We are just grateful that not everything after retiring is means tested.