Winter Fuel Payment - I'll be 63 when I get it 20 September 2012 at 7:57PM in Over 50s MoneySaving 68 replies 63.3K views

Fraserca

I am approaching 60 years of age - Imagine !

I thought I'd check whether I was eligible to get the allowance this year. No such luck. I was born in December 1952 but I won't get it until the winter of 2015-16.

Here is the Direct Gov web page

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Pensionsandretirementplanning/Benefits/BenefitsInRetirement/DG_198331

I thought that the payment was for those of 60 years and over. Have they moved the goalpost?

My wife and I already will have to wait so much longer to get our pensions whereas those born just a year or two before got theirs at 60 and 65.

McKneff

They moved the goaposts in line with the state penson, same thing happens with the free bus pass.

scotsbob

Ignore the above.

As you live in Ayrshire you get your bus pass at 60, same as people in Wales and Northern Ireland.

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/public-transport/concessionary-travel/about-the-scheme

Fraserca

Thanks Bob. I checked that out and to my surprise I am able to get the bus pass or National Entitlement Card as the pompous managementspeak goes.

Maybe I'll have to sell my 11 year old car to pay the heating bills this winter...But then my wife would have to get on and off buses with her crutch.. I'll go free but she will have to pay.

No Blue Badge as she is not disabled enough....

Dunroamin

It doesn't seem a bad thing to me that people of working age should be ineligible for the WFA.

alanq

McKneff wrote: »

They moved the goaposts in line with the state penson...

They are moving the goalposts in line with women's state pension age.

Fraserca

Dunroamin wrote: »

It doesn't seem a bad thing to me that people of working age should be ineligible for the WFA.

A master of the one line put down I see.

I have been working since I was in primary school. I am ineligible for any benefits ( and quite happy about that because it means that I don't have to fill out reams of intrusive questions, talk to half educated and aggressive telephone ' help ' lines and have to live in near poverty ) .

I was only looking up what I thought I was entitled to as the magic number 60 was approaching.

There may be some readers of this forum who expected the allowance this year but are going to be disappointed.

margaretclare

Are you saying that this £100 each was going to make a big difference to you? Are you really going to be forced to sell your car?

DH uses a crutch and neither of us walks very well. Bus passes make no difference to people who can't walk to the bus stop/get on and off buses/are reliant on a crutch. We'd go without a lot rather than give up our car.

roddydogs

They started "Moving the Goalposts" at least 15 years ago, where have you been?

McKneff

If she is permanently disabled she may be able to get a bus pass anyway.

Here in England my OH got a bus pass because he was sight disabled and unable ever to work again. He was on Incapacity Benefit until he reached pension age. We found out later that he could have a bus pass with a C on it meaning a companion could also travel free with him so I got on his card when I was about 57

Dunroamin

Fraserca wrote: »

A master of the one line put down I see.

I have been working since I was in primary school. I am ineligible for any benefits ( and quite happy about that because it means that I don't have to fill out reams of intrusive questions, talk to half educated and aggressive telephone ' help ' lines and have to live in near poverty ) .

I was only looking up what I thought I was entitled to as the magic number 60 was approaching.

There may be some readers of this forum who expected the allowance this year but are going to be disappointed.

Mistress, if you don't mind!

60 hasn't been the "magic age" for years.