There are some times when it is never too early to talk about Christmas, especially if you were born on or before 5^th July 1950. If you have never claimed it before, you are urged to check if you can get a Winter Fuel Payment this year.

Last year we had a blinding Christmas. Blinding snow storms that is. People couldn’t get out of their houses which meant they needed to keep the heat on for a wee while longer. Because it was so cold they also had to turn up their thermostats. I never felt the cold so badly, probably down to my blood thinning medication, but nonetheless it was, as I sometimes say, ‘baltic’.

When my dear old auntie first got her Winter Fuel Payment, she was ecstatic. You may think I am exaggerating her reaction, I promise you not. She lived the American dream for many years and returned home after a family bereavement. ‘How could she possibly be excited by a couple of hundred quid’ I thought to myself. She went on to explain that when you have worked for as long as she has and earned every single penny / cent through hard graft, you really appreciate it when someone cares enough to help you when you need it most.

By the way.  Don’t let my ‘dear old auntie’ description put an image in your mind of a frail old person who can’t do anything for herself. She enjoys a good walk, uses her bus pass to the full, grows her own spuds and veg and isn’t a stranger to a spade and a lawnmower. If she wasn’t getting Winter Fuel Payment, I ask myself, would I have thought to ask her to apply?

Most people will get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically but there will be some who may not know that they may be entitled to it now because they are still working. If you are not sure phone our Helpline 08459 15 15 15. It costs no more than the price of a local call. One of our friendly staff will be able to tell you if you will be eligible for the payment. It could mean an extra £250 for you to help you over the winter months, and you will get it before Christmas as long as you apply before the 24^th September.

If you happen to be reading this article and you don’t qualify for the payment, tell your friends and family. Anyone you know over the age of 60 on or before 5^th July 2010. A local rate phone call is all it will take for them to find out if they can get the Winter Fuel Payment.

Thousands of people are benefiting from Winter Fuel Payment so make sure you check.  Looking back through some of the old press releases issued earlier this year I noticed that announcements about the cold weather were made up to 2^nd March 2010. So as you see it really was a long cold winter. Who knows what this year will bring. So many more inches of snow, I hope not. A colder winter, I really do hope not.

I haven’t told my auntie yet. As she was 80 earlier this year, she is going to get the £400 Winter Fuel Payment. It will be a joy to see that smile on her face grow even wider when she checks her bank statement after the payment arrives. She is one person who will be keeping warm this year. Make sure you do.