Living abroad
Winter Fuel Payments for people living outside the UK but within the European Economic Area or in Switzerland
- Who can receive a Winter Fuel Payment outside the UK?
- Who can receive a Winter Fuel Payment outside the UK for winter 2008/09?
- What will happen if I left the UK after the qualifying week in September?
- What will happen if I left the UK before the qualifying week in September?
- What will happen if I left the UK during the qualifying week in September?
- What should I do if I am planning to move abroad?
- I have lived outside the UK for more than a year. Can I claim payments for past years?
- What were the qualifying dates for past years?
- How much was the Winter Fuel Payment in past years?
- How do I claim for past years?
- Will I need to complete claim forms every year?
- When do I need to claim?
- Where can I get a copy of the claim form I need?
- How do I contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre?
- Definitions
Who can receive a Winter Fuel Payment outside the UK?
If you qualified for a Winter Fuel Payment in the UK, you may be able to continue to receive your Winter Fuel Payment if you move to another European Economic Area (EEA) country or to Switzerland. There are some exceptions to this which are set out below.
The qualifying week this year is the 15 to 21 September 2008. Payments
are normally made from November onwards over a period of several weeks.
Winter Fuel Payments are usually paid automatically to people receiving
a UK state pension. If you do not receive a UK state pension you will
usually need to fill in a claim form for the first year you claim a Winter
Fuel Payment outside the UK. If your circumstances change again, you
should
notify us.
Who can receive Winter Fuel Payments outside the UK for winter 2008/09?
You may be able to receive a Winter Fuel Payment outside the UK for winter 2008/09 if you have previously qualified for a payment in the UK and during the qualifying week of 15 to 21 September 2008 you:
- lived in another EEA country. Your nationality does not affect your
entitlement unless you live in:
- Denmark, where you must be an EEA or Swiss national
- Liechtenstein, Norway or Iceland where you must be an EEA national;or
- lived in Switzerland and are:
- a Swiss national or
- an EU national
- were not in custody under sentence
You do not qualify if you are in custody serving a sentence imposed by a court during the week of 15 to 21 September 2008.
What will happen if I left the UK after the qualifying week in September?
If you left the UK after the qualifying week you should receive your Winter Fuel Payment as normal, as you were a UK resident during the qualifying week. It is important that you let us know when you change your address so that we can update your records. If you are receiving a benefit or State Pension you will also need to tell the office that deals with your payments that you are leaving the UK.
What will happen if I left the UK before the qualifying week in September?
If you left the UK before the qualifying week you may still be eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment provided you qualified in a previous year and if you have moved to live in another EEA country or Switzerland. Check your entitlement at Who can receive a Winter Fuel Payment outside the UK?
What will happen if I left the UK during the qualifying week in September?
If you normally lived in the UK and moved to live outside the UK during the qualifying week you will be treated as living in the UK for the payment for winter 2008/09.
What should I do if I am planning to move abroad?
If you are moving abroad remember to contact:
- the International Pension Centre to let them know your new address
- any benefit or pension paying offices you deal with to tell them that you are moving outside the UK
We may need to write to you for more information and in some circumstances we may need to ask you to complete a claim form.
If you have not received or applied for a Winter Fuel Payment before, we will first have to decide if you were entitled to a payment as a UK resident before you can be entitled to a payment outside the UK. You can find more information in the section about how to get a Winter Fuel Payment in the UK or you can contact the International Pension Centre for advice.
I have lived outside the UK for more than a year. Can I claim payments for past years?
If you left the UK after qualifying for a Winter Fuel Payment, and you normally live (or, in the year you are claiming for, you lived) in another EEA country outside the UK, you may be able to get Winter Fuel Payments for past years.
There are no time limits for claiming for the years 1998/1999 and 1999/2000. Time limits apply for a Winter Fuel Payment for 2000/01 onwards. Winter Fuel Payments became available at different times in different countries, and payment sometimes depends on other factors including your nationality. A quick guide is:
From 1998/99
- Payments became available with effect from the winter of 1998/1999 to eligible EEA nationals living in EEA countries who had previously qualified for a payment in the UK.
From 2000/01
- People in custody under sentence during the qualifying week were no longer entitled to a payment.
From 2002/03
- Payments were extended to Switzerland for EU and Swiss nationals only.
- Swiss nationals could receive payments in EU countries.
From 2003/04
- Payments were extended to all non-EEA nationals in all EU countries, except Denmark.
From 2004/05
- Payments were available in the 10 new EU states to all nationals.
- Payments did not extend to nationals of the 10 new EU states living in Switzerland.
From 2006/07
- Payments were extended to nationals of the 10 new EU states living in Switzerland
From 2007/08
- Payments extended to customers living in Bulgaria and Romania
- Payments do not extend to nationals of Bulgaria and Romania living in Switzerland.
What were the qualifying dates for past years?
| Winter of | Qualifying week |
|---|---|
| 1997/98 | 5 to 11 January 1998 (Payments were to UK residents only) |
| 1998/99 | 9 to 15 November 1998 |
| 1999/2000 | 20 to 26 September 1999 |
| 2000/01 | 18 to 24 September 2000 |
| 2001/02 | 17 to 23 September 2001 |
| 2002/03 | 16 to 22 September 2002 |
| 2003/04 | 15 to 21 September 2003 |
| 2004/05 | 20 to 26 September 2004 |
| 2005/06 | 19 to 25 September 2005 |
| 2006/07 | 18 to 24 September 2006 |
| 2007/08 | 17 to 23 September 2007 |
How much was the Winter Fuel Payment in past years?
If in your household those eligible were:
| Year | You | You and another person |
|---|---|---|
| 1997/98 | UK only | UK only |
| 1998/99 | £20 | £10 each |
| 1999/2000 | £100 | £50 each |
| 2000/01 | £200 | £100 each |
| 2001/02 | £200 | £100 each |
| 2002/03 | £200 | £100 each |
| 2003/04 | £200 | £100 each |
| 2004/05 | £200 | £100 each |
| 2005/06 | £200 | £100 each |
| 2006/07 | £200 | £100 each |
| 2007/08 | £200 | £100 each |
From 2003/04 if you are aged 80 or over and in your household the eligible people were:
| Year | You | You and someone aged 60 to 79 | You and someone aged 80+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003/04 | £300 | £200 you/£100 others | £150 each |
| 2004/05 | £300 | £200 you/£100 others | £150 each |
| 2005/06 | £300 | £200 you/£100 others | £150 each |
| 2006/07 | £300 | £200 you/£100 others | £150 each |
| 2007/08 | £300 | £200 you/£100 others | £150 each |
How do I claim for past years?
If you think you may be able to claim for past years please Contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
Will I need to complete claim forms every year?
Once you qualify for a payment, and we have up-to-date information about where you live, payments for future years are generally sent automatically. You must remember to tell us if your circumstances change.
When do I need to claim?
We must get your claim on or before 30 March 2009. The sooner we receive it the quicker we will be able to tell you whether you qualify for a payment.
Where can I get a copy of the claim form I need?
You can download and print copies of the claim forms. Alternatively, you can write to, fax or phone the Winter Fuel Payment Centre to request a claim form.
How do I contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre?
The Winter Fuel Team at the International Pension Centre is responsible for making Winter Fuel Payments to people who live outside the UK and can be contacted at:
International Pension Centre
Winter Fuel Team
Tyneview Park
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE98 1BA
England
Phone: +44 191 218 7777 (0191 218 7777)
Fax: +44 191 218 3389 (0191 218 3389)
Textphone: +44 191 218 7280 (0191 218 7280)
The lines are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm (UK time).
Contact the International Pension Centre by email
Definitions
United Kingdom (UK)
The UK comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It does
not include the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.
European Union (EU)
The EU comprises Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, Sweden
and the United Kingdom. From 04/05, a further 10 countries joined the
EU: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,
Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, from 07/08 it also included Romania and
Bulgaria.
European Economic Area (EEA)
The EEA comprises all 27 EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
Switzerland
Switzerland is not a member of the EEA, but signed an agreement with the
EU countries in June 2002 to apply EU rules on social security which was
extended in May 2006 to include the 10 countries that joined the EU on
1 May 2004.The agreement does not currently extend to Bulgaria and Romania
or to the EEA countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway.
The Pension Service is part of the Department for Work and Pensions. It has been set up to improve the service you receive, whether you are already a pensioner or are planning for your retirement.