Winter Fuel Payments - Qualifying dates

seven-day-weekend

Women's retirement age has only begun to rise from April 6th 2010 - this year - although obviously the legislation has been in place for some time. I was 60 on January 27th 2010 and my retirement age (and qualifying age for bus pass, heating allowance etc) is 60.

Winter fuel allowances have begun to rise along with the women's pension age , i.e this year.

I take your word for it about the bus passes, although I do know that it was made 60 for all as it as discriminatory otherwise.

uk1

You are correct - but are still missing the point.

Thank you for taking my word about bus passes.

When the change was announced for the change in women's retirement ages - no change was announced for changes in in winter fuel allowances or bus passes. They were not linked in any way sense or form. My point is that these changes have "slipped through" without any pre-publicity.

Edinburghlass_2

Bus pass age for England is a movable feast in line with WFA

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Publictransport/BusAndCoachTravel/DG_10036264

Bus pass age for Scotland is 60

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/concessionary-travel/who-qualifies

Bus pass age for Wales is 60

Local bus travel in Wales

In Wales, if you're over 60, you're entitled to a free bus pass from your local authority. You can use it at any time of the day and are entitled to travel on all local bus services in Wales. The pass can also be used on some long-distance services.


WFA will be covered by MSE in an article very shortly.

uk1

Correct.

But they changed the page and slipped it through unnoticed. Only the Daily Mail noticed it.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1265287/Pensioners-face-year-wait-bus-pass-sneaky-rule-change.html

I alerted an MP who is now cabinet minister via email and shortly afterwards it changed ... and it seemed everyone pretended it was always that way.

Hi XXXXXXXXX, hope you're well.

Forgive the intrusion - I know you're busy, but I noticed this today and
hadn't heard anything from the Conservatives on what I would have
thought is a big bit of news.

Evidently the government has slipped through a change in the rules of
bus passes. It use to be people over 60 got them - now they get them
from their retirement age. It means that I'll wait an extra 5 years for
mine!

The government site has been quietly updated to show this:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/travelandtransport/publictransport/busandcoachtravel/dg_10036264

And it has only been noticed by the Daily Mail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1265287/Pensioners-face-year-wait-bus-pass-sneaky-rule-change.html

Hope this is of use,

..."uk1"

The same now seems to have happened with Winter Fuel Allowances.

zygurat789

All of the above just goes to show what a shambles the authorities have made of this and almost every other area. Total lack of clarity and direction. All of these and like items should be directly linked to (say) the female age of retirement. Anything which is "set in stone" becomes outdated, cannot adapt and eventually becomes totally unfair. Just look at the retirement age which should have been increased gradually over the years starting from some time ago.
Just one point. No one has linked to any official document saying the bus pass age is 60. Direct gov is merely interpreting the acts, I have seen nothing above to indicate that it was not linked to the female retirement age

seven-day-weekend

zygurat789 wrote: »

No one has linked to any official document saying the bus pass age is 60. Direct gov is merely interpreting the acts, I have seen nothing above to indicate that it was not linked to the female retirement age

From the link below:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Publictransport/BusAndCoachTravel/DG_10036264

What is ‘eligible age’

If you were born before 6 April 1950, you are eligible from your 60th birthday.
However, if you were born after 5 April 1950:

• for women the eligible age is pensionable age
• for men the eligible age is the pensionable age of a woman born on the same day

The age at which both men and women become eligible for a bus pass is tied with changes in State Pension age for women.
To check at what age you become eligible, enter your sex and date of birth in the State Pension age calculator.

• State Pension age calculator Opens new window

• More about the changes to the State Pension age

zygurat789

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

From the link below:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Publictransport/BusAndCoachTravel/DG_10036264

What is ‘eligible age’

If you were born before 6 April 1950, you are eligible from your 60th birthday.
However, if you were born after 5 April 1950:

• for women the eligible age is pensionable age
• for men the eligible age is the pensionable age of a woman born on the same day

The age at which both men and women become eligible for a bus pass is tied with changes in State Pension age for women.
To check at what age you become eligible, enter your sex and date of birth in the State Pension age calculator.

• State Pension age calculator Opens new window

• More about the changes to the State Pension age

You missed my point

The Direct gov page is interpreting the legislation as it is now. It would say the same thing if the bus pass age was the same as the female retirement age or if it was 60.

azureblue_2

May I just ask ... my husband gets the winter fuel allowance as he's over 60 already. Do I get a payment as well when I get state pension in 5 years time?

seven-day-weekend

azureblue wrote: »

May I just ask ... my husband gets the winter fuel allowance as he's over 60 already. Do I get a payment as well when I get state pension in 5 years time?

You will each get half of it when you are both the qualifying age.

mjm3346

The changes were put in place in 2009, I know someone who reached 60 this year and we knew he would be one of the last to get a bus pass at 60, his only fear now is they speed up the move to get the retirement age up to 65 and he ends up losing the pass.

Pre-Budget Report
Presented to Parliament by
the Chancellor of the Exchequer
by Command of Her Majesty

December 2009
© Crown copyright 2009




5.45

The female State Pension Age will rise gradually from April 2010 until it is equalised with the male State Pension Age in April 2020. Those aged 60 and over have free access to some services, such as concessionary travel and free prescriptions. The Government announces that the age at which pensioner benefits can be received will increase in line with the female State pension Age. No one currently receiving these benefits will be affected.

The full report can be found on this page


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8402769.stm