HOUSEHOLDS should be aware of these exact dates to help figure out how much money they will get to help with energy bills this winter.
The Winter Fuel Payment is a state benefit paid once a year to pensioners to help cover the cost of heating during colder months.
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The government handout was previously available to everyone aged above 66 and helped with pricey energy costs.
However, Chancellor Rachel Reeves revealed earlier this year the cash would only be given to retirees on pension credit, or other means-tested benefits.
Those who qualify will receive a payment of either £200 or £300.
It is worth noting the amount you receive depends on the year you were born.
For example, if you live alone you will get £200 if you were born between September 23 1944 and September 22 1958.
But you will get £300 if you were born before 23 September 1944.
If you and your partner jointly claim any of the benefits, one of you will get a payment of either:
- £200 if one or both of you were born between September 23 1944 and September 22 1958
- £300 if one or both of you were born before September 23 1944
For those who live with a partner or spouse of pension age, the individual amount is split between you.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has said pensioners will get a letter in either October or November to inform them of how much Winter Fuel Payment they will get.
Who is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment
You will receive the Winter Fuel Payment if you are aged 66 or above and on any of the following benefits.
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income Support
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
It is worth noting that around 800,000 older people risk missing out on the £300 Winter Fuel Payment because they have not first registered for Pension Credit.
The benefit is a weekly payment from the government to those over the state pension age who have an income below a certain level.
If your claim is successful then the benefit will top up your income to £218.15 a week if you are single, or £11,343.80 a year.
It will also give you access to the Winter Fuel Payment.
What is the Winter Fuel Payment?
Consumer reporter Sam Walker explains all you need to know about the payment.
The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual tax-free benefit designed to help cover the cost of heating through the colder months.
Most who are eligible receive the payment automatically.
Those who qualify are usually told via a letter sent in October or November each year.
If you do meet the criteria but don’t automatically get the Winter Fuel Payment, you will have to apply on the government’s website.
You’ll qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment this winter if:
- you were born on or before September 23, 1958
- you lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of September 16 to 22, 2024, known as the “qualifying week”
- you receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit, ESA, JSA, Income Support, Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit
If you did not live in the UK during the qualifying week, you might still get the payment if both the following apply:
- you live in Switzerland or a EEA country
- you have a “genuine and sufficient” link with the UK social security system, such as having lived or worked in the UK and having a family in the UK
But there are exclusions – you can’t get the payment if you live in Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain.
This is because the average winter temperature is higher than the warmest region of the UK.
You will also not qualify if you:
- are in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
- need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave states that you can not claim public funds
- were in prison for the whole “qualifying week”
- lived in a care home for the whole time between 26 June to 24 September 2023, and got Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Payments are usually made between November and December, with some made up until the end of January the following year.
You will need to have been claiming Pension Credit in the ‘qualifying week’ of September 16 to 22, 2024.
But claims can be backdated by three months meaning you have until December 21 to make a claim and still get the Winter Fuel Payment.
If you want to check your eligibility then it is worth checking out our article here.
You can also find free-to-use online benefits calculators to work out what you’re entitled to.
For example, Age UK has an online calculator which helps you work out what benefits you could be entitled to including the Winter Fuel Payment and Pension Credit.
According to the site it takes 10 minutes to complete and you will need the following information:
- Your savings
- Your income, including your partner’s if you have one
- Any benefits or pensions you’re already claiming, including anyone you’re living with.
The calculator is free to use and confidential.
Help at hand
The Sun has launched a Winter Fuel SOS campaign to help thousands of pensioners worried about their energy bills.
We want to hear from you by phone or email — and it’s fine if you are calling or messaging on behalf of a friend or relative.
Our panel includes former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb, pensions expert Baroness Ros Altmann and consumer champion Martyn James.
They will be joined by The Sun’s Head of Consumer Tara Evans and Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements.
And even if you aren’t eligible for the payment, our team will be sharing tips on how to switch energy providers and save money, get help if you’re in debt or simply need to save this winter.
Your cases will be considered by our panel, who will aim to give you advice within one week of your call or email.
Caroline Abrahams, of the charity Age UK, said: “People often think if you have some savings or a small pension there’s no point applying for Pension Credit, but that’s often not the case.
“Don’t be put off by the forms — Age UK can help.”
