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<p /> <p>Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments is based on female State Pension age.
The latest estimates we have show that there are currently around 600,000 higher and
additional rate taxpayers in Great Britain in 2014/15 who are above the female State
Pension age and therefore qualify for Winter Fuel Payments<sup>1</sup>.</p><p> </p><p>
</p><p>We ask people who want to return their payment to do so by post so that it
can be dealt with securely under existing Departmental financial processes and recorded
against their Winter Fuel Payment account. We also ask for a covering letter indicating
whether or not they wish us to continue to issue payments in future years.</p><p>
</p><p>Returned payments should be sent to the address on the issuing letter or to
the office that pays the claimant’s benefit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The latest estimates
we have show that treating Winter Fuel Payments as taxable income would bring in around
£250 million a year of additional revenue<sup>2</sup>.</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p>1.
This estimate is based on the 2011/12 Survey of Personal Incomes using economic assumptions
consistent with the OBR’s November 2014 economic and fiscal outlook.</p><p>The estimate
uses ONS population projections at mid year 2012 adjusted for financial years.</p><p>The
estimate is rounded to the nearest 100,000.</p><p> </p><p>2. This estimate is based
on DWP modelling using HMRC taxpayer data from November 2012 and Winter Fuel Payment
caseload data from Winter 2013.</p><p>This takes into account revenue from Basic,
Higher and Additional rate taxpayers.</p><p>Winter Fuel Payment rates are assumed
to be £200 per year for recipients under 80 and £300 a year for recipients aged 80
and over.</p>
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