Millions of cash-strapped pensioners are due to receive a one-off payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to help keep winter heating bills down.
According to the Daily Record, most payments will be made during November and December but exact dates for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment have not yet been announced. If you are eligible for the annual heating bill help, you will also receive an extra £150 or £300 cost of living top-up. This means eligible households could receive between £250 and £600 to offset higher heating costs during the colder months.
But don’t worry, while that is quite a broad spectrum of payments, DWP will be writing to eligible households from this month letting them know exactly how much money to expect. Winter Fuel Payments are made automatically into the bank accounts of eligible people over State Pension age, so most people will not need to apply for it.
If you received the one-off lump sum last year, in most cases you will not need to apply again as most payments will be made automatically. The deadline for you to make a claim for this winter is March 31, 2024.
It’s important to note that to be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, you must have been born before September 25, 1957 and lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of 18 to 24 September 2023 – known as the ‘qualifying week’.
If you did not meet either of these qualifying criteria, or if you live abroad, you may need to make a claim. If you’ve had a Winter Fuel Payment before, you do not need to claim again unless you’ve deferred your State Pension or moved abroad – find out more here.
Below is an overview of key things you need to know about the Winter Fuel Payment including who needs to claim, who might not qualify and how much to expect – full details can be found on GOV.UK here.
Who does not need to make a claim?
You do not need to claim if you get any of the following:
- State Pension
- Pension Credit
- Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Carers Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Income Support
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Awards from the War Pensions Scheme
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Incapacity Benefit
- Industrial Death Benefit
How to make a claim
You can claim Winter Fuel Payment by post or over the phone.
Claim by post
- Fill in a Winter Fuel Payment claim form for UK residents and send it to the Winter Fuel Payment Centre – the form and address details are on GOV.UK here.
Claim over the phone
-
Contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160 – lines are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. Before making the call have your National Insurance number, bank or building society details and the date you were married or entered into a civil partnership (if appropriate) to hand.
How much you will be paid
Any money you get is tax-free and will not affect your other benefits.
If you live alone or no one you live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment
You will get either:
- £500 if you were born between September 25, 1943 and September 24, 1957
- £600 if you were born before September 25, 1943
If you live with someone else who’s eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment
Your payment may be different if you get one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
If you do not get any of the benefits listed above
You will get a payment of either:
- £250 if you and the person you live with were both born between September 25, 1943 and September 24, 1957
- £250 if you were born between September 25, 1943 and September 24, 1957 but the person you live with was born before September 25, 1943
- £350 if you were born before September 25, 1943 but the person you live with was born between September 25, 1943 and September 24, 1957
- £300 if you and the person you live with were both born before September 25, 1943
If you and your partner jointly claim any of the benefits listed above
One of you will get a payment of either:
- £500 if both of you were born between September 25, 1943 and September 24, 1957
- £600 if one or both of you were born before September 25, 1943
If you get any of the benefits listed above (not as part of a joint claim)
You will get a payment of either:
- £500 if you were born between September 25, 1943 and September 24, 1957
- £600 if you were born before September 25, 1943
If you live in a care home
If you are eligible you will get either:
- £250 if you were born between September 25, 1943 and September 24, 1957
- £300 if you were born before September 25, 1943
Eligibility if you live in a care home
You can get Winter Fuel Payment if you live in a care home. You will not be eligible if both of the following apply:
- you get Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- you lived in a care home for the whole time from 26 June to 24 September 2023
Who is not eligible for Winter Fuel Payments 2023/24?
You will not be eligible if you:
- have been in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
- need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says you cannot claim public funds
- were in prison for the whole of the week of 18 to 24 September 2023
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