"Help" from Mr Darling

Jibbajabba

benjo wrote: »

5.82 To support pensioners more broadly, the level of the full State Pension will rise in line
with prices by £4.55 to £95.25 a week in April 2009. For those women whose entitlement is based
on their husbands' pension, the full couples' rate increases to £152.30. In addition, in order
to provide further support for pensioners during the economic downturn, the Government
announces that it will make a payment in the New Year of £60 for each pensioner, equivalent
to bringing forward uprating of the basic State Pension from April to January. Around 12.5
million pensioners will benefit. A £60 payment will also be made to 2.5 million individuals
who are in receipt of certain other benefits.5

at the bottom of the page (101) it says:

5 Eligibility will be the same as for the annual Christmas Bonus.

To be eligable for the christmas bonus you have to be eligable for one of these benefits for the first full week in December (I am guessing that means in receipt of)

Attendance Allowance
Constant Attendance Allowance
Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance
Disability Living Allowance
Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
Industrial Death Benefit
Carer's Allowance
Mobility Supplement
Pension Credit - the guarantee element
State Pension (including Graduated Pension)
Severe Disablement Allowance
Unemployability Supplement or Allowance
War Disablement Pension if aged 65 or over
War Widow's Pension
Widow's Pension
Widowed Mother's Allowance
Widowed Parent's Allowance

Also you must be resident in the UK, Channel Isles, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, any EU country, or Switzerland.

Benjo quoted directly from the Pre-Budget Report (all 200+ pages of it) so if you are entitled to the Christmas bonus you will be entitled to the £60 too.

Ames

I can't post the link as I think it's members only (it's on benefits and work). But the quoted bit in the message above this is the same as it said on there.

hmpmdo

There is some info here on the £60 bonus
Says it will be paid some time between Jan and March 2009 - something extra to look forward to then

dejavou

I have been informed by the Pensions people, that as I have deferred drawing my pension (in an attempt to up it's weekly value when I do draw it) that I don't qualify for the Bonus as I'm not actually in receipt of my Pension.

Has anybody else had this experience?

The_Dragon

dejavou wrote: »

I have been informed by the Pensions people, that as I have deferred drawing my pension (in an attempt to up it's weekly value when I do draw it) that I don't qualify for the Bonus as I'm not actually in receipt of my Pension.

Has anybody else had this experience?

Gods they will get you every which way! Dr Dragon signed on a fortnight ago (yesterday), had his first official sign on last Thursday, by today we had still not heard if he was going to get JSA or not, so he phoned up, it turned out the local office had not filled out all the forms that were needed, they were planning on waiting until next week and then it would be another month before a decision would be made! :eek:, be interesting to see what they say, ah well