Winter Fuel Payments (Hansard, 20 January 2004)

§ Malcolm Wicks

In order to promote the availability of winter fuel payments a series of advertisements were placed in national and regional press and consumer magazines, a variety of promotional products were also made available to support the campaign. The following items were producedYour Guide to Winter Fuel Payments 2003"—An A5 leaflet available in English, Welsh, Braille, Audiocassette and Large Print. This leaflet was translated into Punjabi, Chinese, Gujarati, Vietnamese, Somali, Arabic, Bengali and Urdu, electronic versions were made available via the Pension Service and DWP websites; A3 and A4 promotional posters displaying the 'Winter Fuel Payments are on their way' and 'Don't miss out' messages; and leaflet dispenser.

Products were made widely available to Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) staff, the media, advisers and the general public. Mailings were sent to over 30,000 relevant advisory organisations such as welfare rights groups and libraries; Citizens Advice; Age Concern; National Pensioners Convention; and the Local Government Association.

Leaflets and posters were displayed in: post office branches; doctors surgeries; Gala Bingo branches; Co-op/Alldays stores; Lloyds Pharmacy; the Pension Service (pension credit) truck; and Paypoint and Payzone outlets.

Copies of the leaflet were distributed direct to customer groups by: Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS), meals on wheels scheme; St. Vincent de Paul Society; Powergen Warm Front and Stay Warm advisers.

Promotional material was sent to the National Energy Action team to support Warm Homes week, which took place in November 2003.

Leaflets and posters were sent as part of a DWP mailing targeted at care and residential homes throughout the UK in October 2003.

Promotional products-were made available at a consumer event organised by Yours magazine.

Leaflets were available to order via the Department of Health's Winter Warmth Advice Line.

The Pension Service website (www.thepensionservice.gov.uk) was heavily utilised throughout the 2003–04 winter fuel payments campaign. Customers were signposted to the dedicated winter fuel payments section of the website through all promotional literature. Winter fuel leaflets were available for customers to download from the Pension Service resource centre.