Winter fuel payment: Who is eligible, how much is it and when is it paid?
Millions of pensioners will receive a winter fuel payment to help towards higher heating bills - here's what you need to know about how and when it will be paid, who is eligible and what to do if you don't get paid.
Monday 27 November 2023 10:18, UK
The winter fuel payment, which is aimed at helping pensioners pay for higher fuel bills during the colder months, is set to be cut for the majority of people who were previously eligible.
Usually about 11.5 million pensioners receive up to £300 - but the government is set to vote today on Chancellor Rachel Reeves' plan to limit the payment to those entitled to Pension Credit - making only 1.5 million people eligible.
Here is everything you need to know about how it currently works - from how payments are made, to who is eligible, and what to do if you don't receive your payment.
Who is eligible for the winter fuel payment?
You can get a winter fuel payment if you were born before 25 September 1958.
You usually need to live in the UK to qualify for the payment.
But if you moved to an eligible country before 1 January 2021, and have a "genuine and sufficient link to the UK" - such as living and working here previously - you will qualify.
The eligible countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland.
There are some cases where you will not be eligible, including if you have been in hospital for all of the last year, if you were in prison for the whole of the week of 16 to 22 September 2024, and if you lived in a care home for the whole time from 24 June to 24 September 2024.
How much is the winter fuel payment?
The winter fuel payment is between £200 and £300.
If you live alone or no one you live with is eligible for the winter fuel payment, you will get either:
• £200 if you were born between 23 September 1944 and 22 September 1958
• £300 if you were born before 23 September 1944
If you live with someone else who is eligible for the winter fuel payment, only one of you gets the payment on behalf of both of you. You will get either:
• £200 if you were both born between 23 September 1944 and 22 September 1958
• £300 if you were both born before 23 September 1944
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How do you get the winter fuel payment?
Most people get the winter fuel payment automatically.
If you're eligible, you should have received a letter in October or November saying how much you'll get.
You will get the payment automatically if you receive the state pension or another benefit, including 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, and industrial death benefit.
If you do not get any of these, you will need to claim - but only if you've not got the payment before.
You'll also need to make a claim if you have deferred your state pension since your last winter fuel payment. Details on how to claim by post or phone are on the .
When is the winter fuel payment paid?
The winter fuel payment will be paid directly into your bank account in November or December.
It will appear in bank statements with the payment reference starting with the customer's National Insurance number followed by 'DWP WFP' for people in Great Britain, or 'DFC WFP' for people in Northern Ireland.
What should you do if the payment doesn't come through?
If you do not get a letter or the money has not been paid into your account by 26 January 2024, contact the .