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DWP responds to query about extending Winter Fuel Payment to terminally ill people | Personal Finance | Finance

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The DWP has responded to a Parliamentary question about extending the Winter Fuel Payment to those who are terminally ill.

The payment of between £250 and £600 currently goes out to people born before September 25, 1957, with the amount a person receives depending on their situation.

Belfast South MP Claire Hanna asked the Government if they had looked at the merits of extending the scheme to those with a terminal illness.

Pensions minister Paul Maynard said in response: “There are no plans to change these eligibility criteria. This winter, as last, the payments include the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment of £300 on top of the usual rate of £200 for a pensioner household with someone aged under 80, and £300 for households with someone aged 80 or over.

“More broadly, the department is committed to supporting people with a terminal illness. The Special Rules for End of Life enable people with a terminal illness to get faster, easier access to certain benefits without needing to attend a medical assessment or serve waiting periods; and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.”

The Special Rules for End of Life were recently changed so they now apply to someone with 12 months or less to live, rather than solely to those with six months or less to live.

Mr Maynard said: “Changes to these rules means that thousands of people nearing the end of life will be able to claim fast-tracked financial support from the benefits system six months earlier than they were able to previously.”

Most people should get their Winter Fuel Payment automatically in November and December – eligible people shold have received a letter in October or November to tell them how much they will get.

The payment will appear in bank statements with a payment reference. This reference will start with the individual’s National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP WFP’ for people in Great Britain, or ‘DFC WFP’ for people in Northern Ireland.

State pensioners are also to get a payment boost next year as the triple lock has been retained meaning pensioners will get an 8.5 percent payment increase in April.

With the uprating, the full new state pension will go up from £203.85 a week to £221.20 a week, basic state pension will go up from £156.20 a week to to £169.50 a week, an increase of almost £700 a year.

Jamie Jenkins, director of Policy and Communications at Royal London, said: “The triple lock has proved a lifeline for pensioners struggling to keep their heads above water amid the greatest cost of living shock in modern times.

“In committing to an 8.5 percent hike, the Chancellor has honoured the Government’s pledge and offered reassurance to millions that they will be able to stay ahead of the inflation curve for the short-term at least.

“We now need a sensible plan for what it is trying to achieve, and what will replace it once we agree that the State Pension has reached a reasonable level.”

For the latest personal finance news, follow us on Twitter at @ExpressMoney_.

How much will the Winter Fuel Payment be?

The one-off payment is tax-free and will not affect a person’s other benefit payments.

For those who live alone or no one they live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment

They will get either:

  • £500 if they were born between September 25, 1943 and September 24, 1957
  • £600 if they were born before September 25, 1943.

If a person lives with someone else who’s eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment

The payment may be different if they get one of the following benefits:

  • Pension Credit
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Income Support

If they do not get any of the benefits listed above

They will get a payment of either:

  • £250 if they and the person they live with were both born between September 25, 1943 and September 24, 1957
  • £250 if they were born between September 25, 1943 and September 24, 1957 but the person they live with was born before September 25, 1943
  • £350 if they were born before September 25, 1943 but the person they live with was born between September 25, 1943 and September 24, 1957
  • £300 if they and the person they live with were both born before September 25, 1943.

If a person and their partner jointly claim any of the benefits listed above

One of them will get a payment of either:

  • £500 if both of them were born between September 25, 1943 and September 24, 1957
  • £600 if one or both of them were born before September 25, 1943.

If a person gets get any of the benefits listed above (not as part of a joint claim)

They will get a payment of either:



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Sensex Opens 265 Points Higher, Nifty Climbs 89 Points In Early Trade

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Mumbai:

The Indian equity benchmark indices opened higher on Friday amid positive global cues, as buying was seen in the IT, pharma and auto sectors in the early trade.

At around 9.27 am, Sensex was trading 265.3 points or 0.33 per cent up at 80,066.81 while the Nifty added 89.85 points or 0.37 per cent at 24,336.55.

Nifty Bank was down 222.85 points or 0.40 per cent at 54,978.55. The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 54,980.80 after increasing 10.95 points or 0.02 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 16,903.30 after declining 60.20 points or 0.35 per cent.

According to market watchers, “after a positive opening, Nifty can find support at 24,200 followed by 24,100 and 24,000. On the higher side, 24,500 can be an immediate resistance, followed by 24,600 and 24,700.

“The charts of Bank Nifty indicate that it may get support at 55,000 followed by 54,700 and 54,500. If the index advances further, 55,500 would be the initial key resistance, followed by 55,800 and 56,200,” said Hardik Matalia, Derivative Analyst of Choice Broking.

Meanwhile, in the Sensex pack, TCS, Tata Steel, Maruti Suzuki, Eternal, ICICI Bank, SBI, HDFC Bank, Infosys, M&M and Tata Motors were the top gainers. Whereas, Axis Bank, Tech Mahindra, Nestle India and IndusInd Bank were the top losers.

In the last trading session, Dow Jones in the US added 1.23 per cent to close at 40,093.40. The S&P 500 climbed 2.03 per cent to 5,484.77 and the Nasdaq added 2.74 per cent to close at 17,166.04.

In the Asian markets, Jakarta, Bangkok, Seoul, Hong Kong, China and Japan were trading in green.

According to analysts, US markets extended their rally on Thursday as investors snapped up hard-hit technology stocks, helping boost the S&P 500 out of correction territory.

The foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 8,250.53 crore on April 24. However, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) sold equities of Rs 534.54 crore on the same day.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)




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Sensex Falls Over 1,000 Points Amid Tensions Over Pahalgam Terror Attack

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Mumbai:

Indian equity markets are trading in the red as tensions soar between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir. Sensex, the 30-share BSE benchmark, has crashed over 1,000 points and is now trading below the 79,000-mark. Nifty, the NSE index of 50 shares, fell below 24,000 points.

The markets went up in early trade, driven by a global rally and fund inflows, but the momentum got lost thereafter, and it gave up the initial gains.

The markets are also upset by unimpressive March quarter earnings by Axis Bank, the third-largest private sector bank of the country. The bank’s shares have fallen 4.65% after reporting a decline in quarterly profit from Rs 7,130 crore in the year-ago period to Rs 7,117 crore.

Besides Axis Bank, major laggards include Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Tata Motors, and Tech Mahindra. On the gaining side are TCS, Infosys, Reliance, HCL Tech, HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank.

At least 26 civilians were massacred by terrorists in a tourist hotspot known as ‘Mini Switzerland’, leading to both countries pulling out their diplomatic staff and suspending visas issued to the other nation’s citizens. (Follow live updates here)

The latest flare-up at the Line of Control was speculative firing by Pakistani troops, which is being seen as an attempt to provoke the Indian side. Indian troops retaliated effectively against the firing from multiple Pakistani posts.

As Indian equities braced for the impact, global equities, including the Asian markets, were charting in the positive territory. South Korea’s Kospi index, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, and Shanghai SSE Composite were all in green.

Similar trends were seen in US equities, too. Last evening, Nasdaq Composite closed 2.74 per cent higher. S&P 500 jumped over 2 per cent and Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1.23 per cent.





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Sensex, Nifty Decline After 7-Day Rally Amid Profit-Taking

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Mumbai:

Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined in early trade on Thursday amid profit-taking after a seven-day rally and muted trend in Asian markets.

The 30-share BSE benchmark declined 242.01 points to 79,874.48 in early trade. The NSE Nifty went down by 72.3 points to 24,256.65.

In the past seven trading days, the BSE benchmark gauge zoomed 6,269.34 points or 8.48 per cent and the Nifty jumped 1,929.8 points or 8.61 per cent.

From the Sensex firms, Eternal, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra, HCL Technologies, Reliance Industries, and HDFC Bank were among the laggards.

IndusInd Bank, Tech Mahindra, Nestle, Bajaj Finance, Axis Bank, and Tata Motors were among the gainers.

In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi index, Shanghai SSE Composite, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng were trading lower while Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 quoted in the positive territory.

US markets ended sharply higher on Wednesday. Nasdaq Composite jumped 2.50 per cent, S&P 500 surged 1.67 per cent and Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 1.07 per cent.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.12 per cent to USD 66.20 a barrel.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 3,332.93 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.

The BSE benchmark jumped 520.90 points or 0.65 per cent to settle at 80,116.49, the highest closing level since December 18, on Wednesday. The Nifty rallied 161.70 points or 0.67 per cent to 24,328.95.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)




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