§ Ms Oona KingTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what time limit for claims for winter fuel payments will be imposed for winter 2002; and if it will298W be possible to accept claims now from pensioners who would have qualified for payments in winter 2000 and 2001 who did not submit claims in time. [57207]
§ Mr. McCartneyThe majority of eligible people will again receive their winter fuel payments automatically for winter 2002–3. Those people who need to claim for winter 2002–03 will have until 30 March 2003 to do so. Claims from people who did not claim within the time limits for winters 2000–01 and 2001–02 cannot now be paid for those winters. However, failure to submit a claim for one winter does not preclude a person from claiming for the next winter, subject to the time limits. Claim forms for winter 2002–03 will be available later this year.