Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will consider amending the annual Winter Fuel Payment letters to give pensioners a clear option, should they decide they do not require the money, of donating their payment to a charitable fund which helps to keep low-income families with children warm during the winter months.

Winter fuel payments give reassurance, particularly to poorer pensioners that they can keep warm during the colder months. The DWP currently issues around 12 million winter fuel payments. Introducing an option on the notification for customers to donate their winter fuel payment would introduce complexity to the process. Recipients are of course free to donate the payment to a charity of their choice.

The DWP also has a process in place should a recipient wish to return their payment. In these circumstances the customer should return the payment to the relevant benefit office, the address of which can be found at the top of the notification.