§ Mr. StevensonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the status is of Winter Fuel Payments following the European Court judgment of 16 December 1999; and when he expects to complete the payments to those who are eligible. [115618]
§ Angela EagleFollowing the judgment in the case of Taylor, the age at which Winter Fuel Payments can be made will be equalised at 60, and the need to be in receipt of a qualifying benefit will be removed. As before, these payments are intended to people who are ordinarily resident in Great Britain.
Payments to those newly eligible will be made as soon as possible. To ensure that these payments are made correctly, it is necessary to determine names and addresses. Some people will be identified through current Departmental records, but the majority may have had no contact with the Department for a long period, and information held may not be up to date. Therefore, there is a need to introduce a claims process to determine precise entitlement.
The process needed to be developed carefully. The Benefits Agency have been working on this and other operational issues to determine the best way to deliver the payments. Details of delivery arrangements will be announced shortly.