Winter Fuel Payments (Hansard, 4 February 1998)

§ Mrs. Ewing
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many winter fuel payments of(a) £50 and (b) £20 have so far been paid; and how many of the payments were wrongly dated. [26798]

§ Mr. Denham
Winter Fuel Payments are one of a number of initiatives the Government have taken to help vulnerable people, especially the elderly, keep warm in the winter. This is the first time any Government have made a payment to all pensioners towards their heating costs.
This is an enormous and unprecedented exercise, involving the making of around 10 million payments to over 7 million pensioner households at a total cost of around £200 million.
The administration of winter fuel payments is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mrs. Margaret Ewing, dated 3 February 1998: The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many winter fuel payments of (a) £50 and (b) £20 have so far been paid; and how many of the payments were wrongly dated. Priority has been given to issuing payments to the poorest pensioners—those who are receiving Income Support or income based Jobseekers Allowance. A total of 1,441,614 payments of £50 have been issued, as at 31 January 1998. This does not include the small number of clerical payments made locally. There were 40,801 girocheques issued with the incorrect date. Replacements were issued on 29 January 1998. Other eligible pensioners will receive a payment of £20 or £10. Where there is only one eligible pensioner in a household, or they are of no fixed abode, they will receive £20; otherwise each eligible pensioner will receive £10. Those payments will start being issued in March. Thank you for the opportunity to explain the position.

§ Mr. Martin Bell
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment she has made of the consistency between(a) the exclusion of men aged 60 to 64 years, unless married to women aged 60 years or over or receiving income support, from receiving the winter 691W fuel payment and (b) EU directive 79/7, article 3.1(a) on equal treatment and section 29 of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. [25728]

§ Mr. Denham
The additional help of £400 million over this winter and next, announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 25 November 1997,Official Report, columns 773–98, demonstrates the Government's commitment to help the elderly keep warm in their homes.
People receiving Income Support or income-based Jobseeker" s Allowance during week commencing 5 January whose benefit included a pensioner premium will be entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment of £50. A pensioner premium applies where wither the claimant or partner are aged 60 or over. Other people over State pension age (65 for men, 60 for women) who are receiving any of the other qualifying benefits during the qualifying week will receive a payment of £20 or £10. Where there is only one eligible person in a household, or the person is of no fixed abode, they will receive £20; otherwise, each eligible person will receive £10. Men aged 60 to 64 will not be entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment on the basis that they are married to a woman aged 60 or over.
Winter Fuel Payments do not fall within the scope of the Social Security Equal Treatment Directive (Directive 79/7). Section 29 of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 deals with discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities or services, which does not apply to the Winter Fuel Payment scheme.