Winter Fuel Payment 2014/2015

alanq

I will be eligible to claim the Winter Fuel Payment for the coming Winter but am not yet receiving a state pension or benefits. Looking at the form it says "Please fill in your name, address or date of birth" and "If you fill in your date of birth on the claim form, we need to see your original birth certificate". Elsewhere it says "You will need to send your original birth certificate with this form". (My emphases)

I can provide a National Insurance Number and have been sending tax returns for umpteen years so they already know my date of birth. (unless I began planning a con 40+ years ago!). My personal information can also be found on credit reference agency files.

I have had experience of mail getting lost in the post and of forms sent to HMRC being returned in tatters so I am very reluctant to send an original birth certificate. A certified copy perhaps.

Has anyone tried claiming by phone? Does one always have to post an original birth certificate or not?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/winter-fuel-payment-claim-form

zygurat789

alanq wrote: »

I will be eligible to claim the Winter Fuel Payment for the coming Winter but am not yet receiving a state pension or benefits. Looking at the form it says "Please fill in your name, address or date of birth" and "If you fill in your date of birth on the claim form, we need to see your original birth certificate". Elsewhere it says "You will need to send your original birth certificate with this form". (My emphases)

I can provide a National Insurance Number and have been sending tax returns for umpteen years so they already know my date of birth. (unless I began planning a con 40+ years ago!). My personal information can also be found on credit reference agency files.

I have had experience of mail getting lost in the post and of forms sent to HMRC being returned in tatters so I am very reluctant to send an original birth certificate. A certified copy perhaps.

Has anyone tried claiming by phone? Does one always have to post an original birth certificate or not?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/winter-fuel-payment-claim-form

Your birth certificate isn't original, it is a copy of an entry in thr Official register. You can get any number of these (if you pay). What they mean is a photocopy is no good.

teddysmum

Is this not paid automatically ? I don't remember having to apply for mine.


The government website says you need to fill in a form if the payment is not made automatically.

alanq

teddysmum wrote: »

Is this not paid automatically ? I don't remember having to apply for mine.

The Winter Fuel Payment is automatic (subject to Ts&Cs) when a person is receiving a state pension or certain benefits. A man who has reached the age at which a woman can draw state pension is eligible for WFP. That is currently around 62 but a man cannot draw a state pension until the age of 65.

monkeyspanner

I was mailed an invitation to apply for winter fuel payment applied by phone and was not asked for proof of DOB.

seven-day-weekend

Any birth certificate you have is a certified copy, the original is in the register.

So when they say 'original', they mean not a photocopy.

Candy53

Hi,

I'm having a job working out when my husband qualifies. He's 62 soon, but according to his birth date, he doesn't qualify till he's around 64.

If though, he can't receive it until a woman reaches state pension age, does this mean me? I'm 56 and don't reach pension age until I'm 66? So will he not get it until then? I just find the whole thing so confusing.

I've just realized too, that the utility bills are in my name only.

Thanks,
Candy.

seven-day-weekend

It means the State Pension age of a woman born the same day as him.

https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/eligibility

zygurat789

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Any birth certificate you have is a certified copy, the original is in the register.

So when they say 'original', they mean not a photocopy.

I hope that flatterey is sincere

seven-day-weekend

zygurat789 wrote: »

I hope that flatterey is sincere

No flattery intended! I hadn't noticed your post further up the thread

p00hsticks

Candy53 wrote: »

I've just realized too, that the utility bills are in my name only.

That's neither here nor there. Desite it being called a 'Winter Fuel Payment', it's basically just a lump sum paid into eligible pensioners bank accounts - you can spend it on whatever you want