§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Winter Fuel Payments for the winter of 2000–01 have been made to all those eligible in Renfrewshire; and if he will make a statement. [152420]
§ Mr. FoulkesAround 1 million people across Scotland have benefited from Winter Fuel Payments this winter. Automatic payments, where entitlement was established, were made before Christmas 2000.
In some cases, people have to make a claim for the Payment. All payments in respect of successful claims determined by 9 November 2000 were also made before Christmas 2000. Claims that were determined after 9 November and before 15 January are due to be paid during the first two weeks in March. The Department of Social Security will be making further payments in April 2001 and again in June 2001.
The Department of Social Security identified early on that there might be difficulties in relation to areas with tenement buildings. In some cases, there may not be individual flat numbers and the customer may not have supplied a postcode. This could mean that the correct payments might not be made. The Department of Social Security have addressed this issue. Their practice now is to look at all known tenement cases on an individual basis and pay the correct amount due, taking into account whether anyone else can be identified as living in the same household.
People with any queries about their Winter Fuel Payment should contact their local Benefits Agency office.