The vast majority of winter fuel payments are made automatically but people who are newly eligible and not in receipt of a social security benefit or those who only receive housing benefit, council tax benefit or child benefit need to claim.
In 2007-08 we received 458,334 claim forms in respect of winter fuel payments.
Information on winter fuel payment claims made by households in Essex and Castle Point is not available. Information about the number of payments made to households in those areas is in the table. 2006-07 is the latest year for which information is available.
Essex Castle Point 2002-03 195,215 13,405 2003-04 198,080 13,765 2004-05 204,420 14,395 2005-06 207,900 14,690 2006-07 212,550 15,120 Notes: 1. Figures from 2002-03 to 2004-05 are rounded to the nearest five 2. Figures from 2005-06 are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory. Source: Information directorate 100 per cent. data.