§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of people eligible for a non-automatic Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2000 who did not claim the benefit. [161048]
§ Mr. RookerAround 1.3 million people have made successful claims for Winter Fuel Payments in respect of winter 2000 out of a possible 1.5 million people that might have been eligible.
An information campaign has been running since last April. Its aim has been to ensure that existing and potential customers know about changes to the scheme and what, if anything, they need to do to get a payment. It was up to the individual to choose whether to claim a payment.