Winter fuel payment

amersall

I was talking to my friend yesterday and she said "we won't get winter fuel payment when we retire as you have to be born on or before 1953" as we were born in 59, I wondered what do people do who were born after this date, not keep warm?, or have I got it wrong?, probably have, as usual .

Darksparkle

They'd have to wait to be entitled

Silvertabby

I was talking to my friend yesterday and she said "we won't get winter fuel payment when we retire as you have to be born on or before 1953" as we were born in 59, I wondered what do people do who were born after this date, not keep warm?, or have I got it wrong?, probably have, as usual .

I think your friend read that you have to have been born in or before 1953 to get winter fuel allowance this year.

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p00hsticks

Next year it will still be 1953, but later in the year.
The birth date to qualify for WFP is linked to the womens state pension age - you have to have been born on or before the date at which a women would reach State Retirement Age on the yearly date for WFP (which I think is the last Sunday in September each year).

However the womens State Pension Age is currently rising to match mens and so each year the age at which you can qulaify for WFP is rising in line.
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-1679780/New-state-pension-age-retire.html

As a consequence, the qualifying date this year is for people born before 5th May 1953. Next year (if WFA is still being paid) the date should be 5th August 1953 and in 2018 it will be 5th November 1953.

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

amersall

Thanks all, much appreciated.

TELLIT01

Yet another example of the way women caught up in the retirement age increase are being badly done by. My wife is one of those caught with the increase from 60 to 65 and then 66.

p00hsticks

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Yet another example of the way women caught up in the retirement age increase are being badly done by. My wife is one of those caught with the increase from 60 to 65 and then 66.

Of course, you are equally affected by this one as your eligibility for WFP is going up eaxctly the same - men originally received WFP 5 years before their State Retirement Age to keep them in line with women.

foxtrotoscar_2

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Yet another example of the way women caught up in the retirement age increase are being badly done by. My wife is one of those caught with the increase from 60 to 65 and then 66.

Oh come on now! Women live longer and retire earlier at the moment. It's men that have had the !!!!!! end of the stick re retirement age.

TELLIT01

p00hsticks wrote: »

Of course, you are equally affected by this one as your eligibility for WFP is going up eaxctly the same - men originally received WFP 5 years before their State Retirement Age to keep them in line with women.

I'm not affected by the change. I did start receiving my WFP at 60 as I am now 65. Now, instead of my wife retiring 6 months after me, she has to continue working for 6 1/2 years. Some might say that every cloud has a silver lining, but I couldn't possibly comment. :rotfl:

p00hsticks

TELLIT01 wrote: »

I'm not affected by the change. I did start receiving my WFP at 60 as I am now 65.

In that case, as the WFP is awarded per household rather than per individual (although split betweek eligible individuals) the rise in the age of eligibility doesn't really financially affect your wife.

TELLIT01

p00hsticks wrote: »

In that case, as the WFP is awarded per household rather than per individual (although split betweek eligible individuals) the rise in the age of eligibility doesn't really financially affect your wife.

It does affect her as she would previously have received the additional £100 at age 60, that doesn't now happen until 66. A loss of £600 plus 6 years less pension income.