§ Gillian MerronTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will make an announcement about the payment of Winter Fuel Payments following the European Court judgment of 16 December 1999. [118811]
Mr. DarlingIFollowing the European Court of Justice's ruling on Winter Fuel Payments last December, announced the Government's intention to equalise, at 60, the age at which payments could be made. I also said that it would be necessary to set up a claims process to make sure that the right people got the right amount of Winter Fuel Payment due.
The arrangements are as follows:
144WWe want to ensure that people entitled to payments for past winters will receive those payments as soon as practically possible. The plan is to make them from the end of June onwards and payments for this coming winter before Christmas 2000.Around 50,000 people, who think they may now be eligible for a backdated payment, have already registered their details with thereceipt of Earnings Top-Up at the time the pilot ended are allowed to claim one further six-month award. This means that some people could continue to receive Earnings Top-Up until 25 September 2000.