winter heating allowance

[Bob Eager]

If you are both under 80, you'll normally get £100 each.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes. Although I'm not quite clear why a couple sharing a home need a higher winter heating allowance than a single person. Do they take more baths during the winter than the summer?

[Andy Burns]

I wondered that too, but according to Bob and newshound, it doesn't work like that.

[Robin]

It sure don't.

[GB]

You qualify but live in a care home and don?t get one of the benefits listed* £100 £150

How weird is that?!

[Adrian Caspersz]

Perhaps in the future where all of our gas and electricity meters are remotely read, the winter fuel rebate will only apply to premises where gas and electricity has been actually burnt on the critical days done offset local weather conditions. If ya house ain't occupied, ye don't get the rebate.

Now I've said that, I expect installations of those pesky smart meters will fall...(good)

[Robin]

IMHO about as weird as a snowflake melting when it falls on the bald bum of a bonking buffalo.

A person under 80 living in their own home with a person under 80 gets £100. If over 80 with a person over 80 it's £150 each. So ISTM logical that if the person is in a care home with (probably many) other people they get either £100 or £150 if over 80.

Turning then to "one of the benefits listed", people in a care home getting those income-related benefits usually get some or all of the cost of the home met by the local authority and that includes heating costs.

If-- Robin reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

[Andy Burns]

If two people qualify, live together as partners and both receive suitable benefits, is it pot luck which one receives it all, and which receives none?

[Bob Eager]

She won't get one. They get £100 each if under 80.

[Bob Eager]

No, you get separate payments. Half each.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Never really understood these 'targeted' benefits. Surely most pay their energy bills monthly these days? So simply increasing the OAP by the total cost of the WHA would make more sense.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Ah. That makes some sense. If they pay their bills separately. ;-)

[Robin]

I think the thinking is that a monthly trickle does not have the same impact as a lump sum once a year when old people are most likely to worry about heating costs (in the run up to Christmas).

And FWIW I think that thinking is well-thunk. Bear in mind not all old people have monthly bills paid by DD. I know some who still write a cheque once a quarter. And that's despite some having caring family members who have tried hard to get them to let them do it all online.

[The Natural Philosopher]

£200 doesn't cover the £350 I spent on the winter tank of oil...

[The Natural Philosopher]

no. Each receives half.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Even more of a reason to go to monthly payments, then.

You are talking to an OAP here. And by quite some margin. ;-) As obviously are many of my friends.

Things change along the years. OAPs with them.

[Andy Burns]

I wonder what situation the "Nil**" entry in the table refers to then?

[bert]

In article , Graeme writes

No ?200 per pensioner household so you will receive ?100 each

[Robin]

Me too.

I had in mind people in their late 80s or 90s. Of which there are quite a few - many of whom still vote.

[bert]

In article , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

No ?200 per pensioner household.