Winter fuel payment petition

krisskross

NeverInDebt wrote: »

Signed petition its outrageous disabled don't get some help

so much for caring society

the disabled DO get help. It is called Disability Living Allowance

savemoney

Well I have stated before I have child who suffers from acute cold due to her disability, her hands and feet especially prone even in middle of Summer

I have to keep heating on a lot and cut back when I can even when I may be freezing myself just so that when she comes home she has a warm house but still has to wear lots of clothing.

There should be some provision for disabled, it is simply not fair that all elderly should get it. I recognize that many should and perhaps a bit more besides. I know money is scarce isn't it always? but if there is medical evidence supporting a disabled person where they condition may be at detriment due to cold that there should be some mechanism in place to help

krisskross wrote: »

the disabled DO get help. It is called Disability Living Allowance

Not for heating they don't

krisskross

DX2 I can't find your post with the parliamentary answer about what DLA encompasses. Not that anyone here takes any notice anyway

Indie_Kid

krisskross wrote: »

In fact it would perhaps be better to just issue disabled people with heating vouchers, taxi vouchers, someone to help with personal hygiene vouchers if you cannot budget the extra allowances to cover the cost of what you need.

It's nothing to do with being able to budget properly. I have weeks where I need more water, heating, hand wash, washing, etc. I do not know when I'm going to have bad days and can't exactly plan for them.

£18.65 doesn't go far. And it's not as if I buy really expensive wipes or nappy sacks. (my current nappys sacks are from Morrissons' value range) I do also look out for offers to make my money go further.

savemoney

Is this it

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=27863811&postcount=57

savemoney

Mr Mike O'Brien was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 1997 - 2001 and 2002 - 2004



Winter Fuel Payments: Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of extending the winter fuel payment scheme to disabled people under 60 years who are in receipt of (a) the middle or higher rate care component and (b) the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance in each of the next five years. [200574]

Mr. Mike O'Brien:Winter fuel payments were created to give pensioners reassurance that they can afford to heat their homes in winter. It is paid in a lump sum each winter to ensure that money is available when fuel bills arrive.
Help is already available through disability benefits and the disability premium in income-related benefits in recognition of the extra costs, including heating, which disabled people may have. The extra heating needs of disabled people by and large, arise all year round, not just in the winter months.
Information is not available in the format requested. Many individuals are in receipt of both a care component and mobility component of disability living allowance (DLA).
The following table details the estimated cost of extending winter fuel payments to individuals in receipt of some combination of the higher or middle rate care component of DLA and/or the higher rate mobility component of DLA or one of these components on its own.
http://www.publications.parliament.u...80501w0004.htm



Funny how above the directgov web site does not state there is provision for heating




Disability Living Allowance has two parts called 'components':

• a care component - if you need help looking after yourself or supervision to keep you safe
• a mobility component - if you can't walk or need help getting around

Nope no mention with help or heating

krisskross

Aha found it, although I know you will all still say DLA is not for extra heating costs.

uote: Originally Posted by DX2
Winter Fuel Payments: Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of extending the winter fuel payment scheme to disabled people under 60 years who are in receipt of (a) the middle or higher rate care component and (b) the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance in each of the next five years. [200574]

Mr. Mike O'Brien:Winter fuel payments were created to give pensioners reassurance that they can afford to heat their homes in winter. It is paid in a lump sum each winter to ensure that money is available when fuel bills arrive.
Help is already available through disability benefits and the disability premium in income-related benefits in recognition of the extra costs, including heating, which disabled people may have. The extra heating needs of disabled people by and large, arise all year round, not just in the winter months.
Information is not available in the format requested. Many individuals are in receipt of both a care component and mobility component of disability living allowance (DLA).
The following table details the estimated cost of extending winter fuel payments to individuals in receipt of some combination of the higher or middle rate care component of DLA and/or the higher rate mobility component of DLA or one of these components on its own.
http://www.publications.parliament.u...80501w0004.htm


So the Minister of State for Works and Pensions thinks that DLA is for extra heating costs. Is he wrong as well? May have been a few years ago, but can't see that anything has changed in what the payments are supposed to cover. The Government web site cannot possibly cover every little thing that DLA could or would be used for. Surely all disabled people are different and therefore need to spend the DLA on different things.
............

BargainGalore

http://www.driffieldtoday.co.uk/news/GOVERNMENT-MUST-EXTEND-WINTER-FUEL.5969387.jp

Rob Tolan, head of research and policy at Elizabeth Finn Care, said: "Many disabled people are often housebound due to the nature of their condition and for those with the most severe disabilities – where movement is restricted entirely – a constantly heated home can be the difference between life and death.

"If the government recognises it has a duty to help pensioners because they are more likely to live on lower incomes, more likely to be in fragile health and as a result, more likely to face difficulties in paying for the increased cost of fuel bills, then it must apply the same principle in respect to the disabled and extend the Winter Fuel Allowance to them."

Two-fifths of adults aged 45-65 on below average incomes have a debilitating long-standing illness or disability. This is more than twice the rate for those on average incomes. In addition, two-thirds of the people helped by Elizabeth Finn Care seek our support as a result of physical illness, injury or accident.

In a modern, affluent society, economic crisis or otherwise, people should never be in a position where they are forced to choose between whether they heat, or eat.






Jo Swinson and her Liberal Democrat colleagues are calling on the Government to extend the Winter Fuel Payment scheme to include severely disabled people.


http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2008-05-01c.200574.h

Fran Horne
Posted on 6 Jan 2009 9:49 pm (Report this annotation)
Winter fuel payments are not available to disabled persons such as myself who have chronic illnesses and often lower household incomes. I am forced to have my heating on far lower than is optimal as I cannot afford the utility bills if I turn up the heat. I am often imobile for long periods and get can get very cold.

I wrote to the relevant secretary of state and was told my DLA covered this, I had pointed out that disabled pensioners get both their benefits AND winter fuel payments, although this reasoning was dismissed.

BargainGalore

There are some people and I dont resent them, on other benefits get winter fuel allowance £25 each time it goes below set temperature for 7 consecutive dates yet no provision for disabled whatsoever

EDIT which may included some disabled depending on what benefits they get

Indie_Kid

BargainGalore wrote: »

There are some people and I dont resent them, on other benefits get winter fuel allowance £25 each time it goes below set temperature for 7 consecutive dates yet no provision for disabled whatsoever

Disabled people can get the £25 cold weather payment if they're in receipt of DLA and either JSA, IS or ESA.