Winter Fuel Payment

[Elle3]

Can anyone advise me if my dad is still entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment even though he is now living in a care home and I have just sold his house?

I have just received a letter from The Pension Service advising that they have awarded him the payment.

If this is wrong, then I will need to contact them.

Thanks.
Elle x

 

[Beate]

It depends when he moved to the care home:

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

When you will not qualify
You will not qualify if you:

• are in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
• need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave states that you can not claim public funds
• were in prison for the whole week between 17 to 23 September 2018
• lived in a care home for the whole time between 25 June and 17 September 2018, and got Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance

You should probably contact them anyway, as he will most definitely not qualify next year if he's still in the care home during a certain period.

 

[Elle3]

It depends when he moved to the care home:

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

When you will not qualify
You will not qualify if you:

• are in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
• need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave states that you can not claim public funds
• were in prison for the whole week between 17 to 23 September 2018
• lived in a care home for the whole time between 25 June and 17 September 2018, and got Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance

You should probably contact them anyway, as he will most definitely not qualify next year if he's still in the care home during a certain period.

Thanks Beate, he has been in a care home since April, but does not get any of the benefits, I will contact them on Monday just to clarify, better safe than sorry.

 

[Kevinl]

It depends when he moved to the care home
When you will not qualify
You will not qualify if you:

• are in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
• 
  
• lived in a care home for the whole time between 25 June and 17 September 2018, and got Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance

You should probably contact them anyway, as he will most definitely not qualify next year if he's still in the care home during a certain period.

I don't agree, hospitals aren't care homes and if you're in a care home but not in receipt of the specified benefits then you still get winter fuel allowance but at a reduced rate of half the full amount currently £200 so my wife gets £100..
"People in residential care who receive Pension Credit do not qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment. Other care home residents receive half the full rate (£100, or £150 for people aged 80 or over). This note describes the rules as they apply to people in care homes, and explains the rationale behind them." From the government website on the link below.
My wife still gets it and the letter that comes with the payment notification says it is at the lower rate as the DWP know she's in care.
K

https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN01475

 

[Beate]

I was only quoting the official government website and what it says about qualifying - if it's not correct or incomplete, take it up with the government.

 

[kindred]

Can anyone advise me if my dad is still entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment even though he is now living in a care home and I have just sold his house?

I have just received a letter from The Pension Service advising that they have awarded him the payment.

If this is wrong, then I will need to contact them.

Thanks.
Elle x

well, I got the letter too and phoned them and they were ever so kind and said yes he does qualify at the care home and they wished me well. Gxx

 

[Elle3]

Thank you everyone for clarifying, my dad's letter says he has been award £300 as he is over 80. So after reading the information provided, it seems I will still need to call them and tell them it should only be half the amount.

Your help is much appreciated.
Elle x

 

[Elle3]

Just a quick update, I called the DWP today and they cannot confirm either way if dad is entitled to half or the full amount, even though I have advised them previously that dad has been in a care home since April and now getting CHC funding from the end of June. They said everyone is different, so he could technically still get the full amount.

The Winter Fuel team will look into it and write to me to let me know if I will have to do a refund.

 

[VerityH]

I found the govt website about who is and isn't eligible difficult to understand. My dad has been in a care home from 18 Aug till now, so is he eligible or not? I just picked up post from his bungalow and the letter has just arrived. I'll call and ask them to clarify.

 

[Sirena]

Thank you for starting this thread Elle. My mother's letter arrived today and thanks to this thread I knew what to expect and they have got it right - she has been in a care home since February, she's 83, and she is getting £150.

 

[AliceA]

Thank you everyone for clarifying, my dad's letter says he has been award £300 as he is over 80. So after reading the information provided, it seems I will still need to call them and tell them it should only be half the amount.

Your help is much appreciated.
Elle x

A householder over 80 gets the full amount but if there are two the amount is shared. So we had £150 each.
I put it straight into to our supplier, they pay 5% interest and it means a cold winter is covered, we do feel the cold more easily these days. We are still in our own home. Better safe than sorry so do check to be covered.

 

[VerityH]

I couldn't work out from their website guidelines if dad should get it or not (haven't had a letter for mum yet). He went into carehome on 18 Aug, she into hospital followed by carehome on 15 Aug and 4 Sept respectively. I was on hold trying to get through for so long I gave up. I've written a letter!

 

[MaNaAk]

Thanks Beate, he has been in a care home since April, but does not get any of the benefits, I will contact them on Monday just to clarify, better safe than sorry.

Thankyou for bringing this up Elle as I am in the same situation as you and I will be following this thread with interest.

MaNaAk

 

[AliceA]

Please keep us posted as it seems such a minefield at a time when it should be straightforward.

 

[Snafs]

This thread is perfectly timed for me to ask almost the same question.
My mum has been in a care home since February (I'm still in family home) and has just been sent the £300 winter allowance. I was shocked as I did not think it would apply now.
I don't wish to keep anything we/she is not legally entitled to, so was wondering if I should contact them, in case that department did not know here status.
Or just presume that as it's been paid, then it must be correct otherwise they'd not have sent it.
Would welcome advice on what, if anything I should do.

 

[Singing Friend]

My mother moved into a care home in June 2017. She is completely self-funded. I didn't even think about telling DWP at the time, so when they wrote to me last year to say she'd got her £300 Winter Fuel Allowance I rang them up to tell them she was in a home. At some point over the next few months they reclaimed £150 as she is no longer eligible for the full amount. (I also had to ring someone else at DWP to tell them she has now moved even though she gets her pensions straight into her bank account and they write to me as they know I have PoA.)

This year I got the letter a week or so ago saying she will get £150, so they appear to have sorted it out.

 

[Ray96]

A householder over 80 gets the full amount but if there are two the amount is shared. So we had £150 each.
I put it straight into to our supplier, they pay 5% interest and it means a cold winter is covered, we do feel the cold more easily these days. We are still in our own home. Better safe than sorry so do check to be covered.

Really, 5% interest you say, which supplier do you use, do mind me asking?

 

[yak55]

Mum has been in her care home since Junenthis year and I've just had a letter confirming her winter fuel payment has gone into the POA bank account I hold for her

 

[sixy74]

My Dad went into care at the end of August and received his WFA last week, it was his usual amount so like you guys I called DWP to confirm this was correct and they told me it was, I had expected him to receive £150 as stated on the goverment website, I was told next year he would receive this amount or nothing at all

 

[AliceA]

Mum has been in her care home since Junenthis year and I've just had a letter confirming her winter fuel payment has gone into the POA bank account I hold for her