Don't miss out on your winter fuel payment

John_Pierpoint

I have just tried to fill in the form on-line and then print it.

Perhaps this is an intelligence test for pensioners?

Each box has to be entered, presumably at the Pension Service the paper is then read into a computer using Optical Character Recognition, hence the funny font.

Anyway the dates are in the form DDMMYYYY but I can put in the DD values and then I cannot seem to access the MM & YYYY boxes. I've tried it in both
internet Explorer and Firefox without any luck.

What am I or they doing wrong ?

John_Pierpoint

Well I have down loaded new versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox and Adobe Reader (version 8).

The fields including the dates now work, but I find it very confusing that the cursor sits in the box just completed, not the box waiting to be completed. Sometimes the cursor moves into the next logical box and sometimes it needs to be "clicked" into the next box with the cursor.

The first time I printed it, using a black ink cartridge, I ended up with both the correct dates and the DDMMYYYY instruction superimposed onto each other. I had to reset my printer to "colour" to get the correct black and white print, using the same black cartridge.

The pages are not numbered, as well as being bad design it makes the form open to fraud because the bank details are on a different page from the signature. If I worked in the post room in Leicester and I had a bank account in the name of J Brown, I might be in luck, or is the system clever enough to query one bank account with more than one claimant's address linked to it?

I have printed both pages on one sheet of paper (secure & green?) complete with page numbering and PTO's - Watch this space.

I'm not too hopeful - this shower still owe my mother 102 GBP of unpaid fuel allowance. In spite of writing a multi page letter to her MP promising to get things sorted out.

Why is it that the tax collection forms work perfectly but this simple form is a nightmare? What do you think?

tunneller_2

:beer:Thanks for the reminder. I am claiming for the first time this year.
I filled out the form on- line with no problems.
You have to be careful though as the cursor automatically goes to the next box in some fields but you have to use the tab key on others.

mjmal51

harryhound wrote: »

Where did you get this from? Please post the exact link.
The leaflet I have just accessed is titled 2006/2007, I think that is last year's leaflet, but I could be wrong.

Is this what you need?
http://thepensionservice.gov.uk/winterfuel/do-i-qualify.asp

sorted_2

Thanks for the link, I have just missed that by a few weeks, really annoying, I should have thought you were able to claim this on your birthday, especially if it is the winter months

harryhound

mjmal51 wrote: »

Is this what you need?
http://thepensionservice.gov.uk/winterfuel/do-i-qualify.asp

Many thanks - I see the powers that be have saved another 1/365 of the first year's payments, by moving the date back 24 hours. Did something similar last year.

jwc

My mother turned 80 on September 15th and therefore now qualifies for higher rate payment. Does anyone know if this comes under their "change of circumstances" statement or if it is automatically taken into account? Unsure whether we need to do anything or just wait.

Errata

harryhound wrote: »

Many thanks - I see the powers that be have saved another 1/365 of the first year's payments, by moving the date back 24 hours. Did something similar last year.

Probably Prudence what did it :rotfl:

mjmal51

jwc wrote: »

My mother turned 80 on September 15th and therefore now qualifies for higher rate payment. Does anyone know if this comes under their "change of circumstances" statement or if it is automatically taken into account? Unsure whether we need to do anything or just wait.

I know that when my mum turned 80 she automatically received the higher payment, she didn't have to do anything. Can only assume it is the same for all.

monkeyspanner

Just found out that although my MIL will receive Winter Fuel Payment this year (just scraped into the qualifying period), because she has just gone into a care home she will not receive the payment in future.

MIL is self funding in the care home. Don't the Government think that heating forms part of the weekly fees she pays? You wouldn't believe that if you went to visit her, it's like a sauna in her care home! Does anyone have any idea of the justification for this exclusion?