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GOVERNMENT IS PENNY PINCHING OVER QUALIFICATION FOR WINTER FUEL ALLOWANCE - RENNIE
January 23, 2008 1:08 PM
Dunfermline and West Fife MP Willie Rennie has accused the Government of penny-pinching over the qualification date for individuals to receive the winter fuel allowance.
Under the current system, winter fuel payments are only made to individuals who turn 60 before the last week of September, even though the actual winter fuel payments are not made until December. Mr Rennie believes this is grossly unfair, and has called upon the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Peter Hain, to make the process fairer.
Mr Rennie said:
"In this age of electronic records and computerised systems, it beggars belief that the Government has chosen a cut-off date for the winter fuel allowance of almost 3 months before the actual payments are made.
"If a person turns 60 in late September they are ineligible to receive the winter fuel allowance for that year. The unfairness of this is made worse by the lack of publicity of the qualifying date.
"I recognise, of course, that a cut-off date is needed for these payments, but it should be a much fairer one. I believe that the Government should allow people who turn 60 throughout the winter period to submit a claim for the winter fuel allowance for that year. Not to do so is penny pinching of the worst kind."
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