State pensioners left out in the cold after having their £300 Winter Fuel Payment nicked by the Department for Work and Pensions can now wrap up warm with news they’re due four payments worth £243.
Hard-pressed grans and grandads have been stripped of the DWP benefit thanks to a frosty move from the Labour bigwigs. Union top dogs like Unite and a host of Labour MPs have kicked off about the government giving the chilly shoulder to the fuel allowance.
Unite’s boss, Sharon Graham, lashed out at what she branded a “cruel policy” and made a plea at the PM to chuck it on the scrapheap. She said: “I’d like him to say that he’s made a misstep and to reverse that policy. I’d also like him to say that we’re not going to take this country down austerity mark two. People voted for change. They need to see change.”
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“The reality here is it’s a misstep. You’ve got a situation where the poorest in our society, the first thing that Labour does is take away the winter fuel allowance from the poorest in our society while they leave the most wealthy people pretty much untouched.”, reports Birmingham Live.
Here’s a list of four payments Brits could get to help:
The Warm Home Discount – £150 discount onto your electricity bill
Your electricity supplier can provide details on how you’ll receive the discount if you’re eligible, such as a voucher to top up your meter. You qualify for the discount if on 13 August 2023 all of the following applied:.
This is referred to as being in the ‘core group 1’ in England and Wales, or the ‘core group’ in Scotland. You may be eligible if on 13 August 2023 all of the following applied:
- your energy supplier is part of the scheme
- your name (or your partner’s) is on the electricity bill
- you or your partner are getting the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (even if you get Savings Credit as well)
Winter Heating Payment – £58
Some Scots receive a one-off payment during winter called Winter Heating Payment. The Winter Heating Payment will be paid from December 2024 and will amount to £58.75.
If you are eligible for one of the qualifying benefits, you will automatically receive the Winter Heating Payment.
You’ll automatically receive the single payment between December and February, regardless of the temperature. Social Security Scotland will notify you via letter or email when it’s due.
It will appear as ‘WHP’ on your bank statement, which stands for Winter Heating Payment.
Cold Weather Payment – £25 (at least)
Eligibility for Cold Weather Payments requires the average temperature in your area to have been, or be forecasted to be, 0 C or less for 7 consecutive days. Those living in care homes cannot receive Cold Weather Payments.
If you’re eligible, you’ll be paid automatically after each 7-day period of cold weather. Your payment should arrive within 14 working days.
If you believe you should have received a Cold Weather Payment but didn’t, get in touch with your pension centre or Jobcentre Plus office.
Christmas Bonus – £10
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has traditionally given this one-off amount to pensioners, vulnerable individuals, and carers every Christmas as a goodwill gesture. In 2008, Labour temporarily increased it to £70 due to the financial crash, but it reverted back to £10 the following year.
People commenting on the Change.org petition labelled the amount as ‘an insult’ and ‘pathetic’.
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