DWP update for thousands on State Pension who could miss out on £300 Winter Fuel Payment

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THE Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued an update to authorities pensioners who could miss retired connected the Winter Fuel Payment.

The Government section said it volition get successful interaction with those claiming Housing Benefit but not Pension Credit.

Housing Benefit claimants tin besides get Pension Credit to screen the outgo of living

You tin assertion the 2 benefits astatine the aforesaid time, with Pension Credit unlocking the up to £300 Winter Fuel Payment, but not everyone who is eligible to is.

In effect to Labour MP Paula Barker, Sir Stephen Timms, a curate astatine the DWP, said it was moving with councils to boost the uptake of Pension Credit.

Sir Stephen besides said the DWP volition beryllium straight contacting pensioners who are receiving Housing Benefit that whitethorn beryllium eligible for Pension Credit successful November to promote them to claim.

He continued: "In the longer word we volition bring unneurotic the medication of Pension Credit and Housing Benefit arsenic soon arsenic operationally possible, truthful that pensioner households receiving Housing Benefit besides person immoderate Pension Credit to which they are entitled."

We person asked the DWP however it volition beryllium contacting those connected Housing Benefit but not Pension Credit and volition update this communicative erstwhile we person heard back.

It comes aft the Government announced a large alteration to the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment.

The up to £300 outgo utilized to beryllium issued to anyone of state pension age, presently 66, oregon older.

But the Government has present made it means-tested meaning lone those connected definite benefits person it.

You present lone person it if you are connected 1 of the pursuing 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

Winter Fuel Payment Changes

The Social Fund Winter Fuel Payments Regulation 2024 reduces the fig of radical receiving a Winter Fuel Payment successful England and Wales from 10.8million to 1.5million.

The Government estimates the determination volition prevention it £1.3billion this fiscal twelvemonth and £1.5billion per fiscal twelvemonth aft this year.

However, hundreds of thousands volition miss retired connected the Winter Fuel Payment due to the fact that they are not claiming Pension Credit contempt being eligible.

The Government is successful a thrust to get arsenic galore radical connected to the payment which not lone unlocks the £300 outgo but is worthy connected mean £3,900 a year.

What is Pension Credit and who is eligible?

Pension Credit is simply a Government payment designed to apical up your play income if you are a authorities pensioner with debased earnings.

The current state pension age is 66.

There are 2 parts to the payment - Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit.

Guarantee Credit tops up your play income to £218.15 if you are azygous oregon your associated play income to £332.95 if you person a partner.

Savings Credit is extra money you get if you person immoderate savings oregon your income is supra the basal afloat authorities pension magnitude - £169.50.

Savings Credit is lone disposable to radical who reached authorities pension property earlier April 6, 2016.

Usually, you lone suffice for Pension Credit if your income is beneath the £218.15 oregon £332.95 thresholds.

However, you tin sometimes beryllium eligible for Savings Credit oregon Guarantee Credit depending connected your circumstances.

For example, if you are suffering from a severe disability and claiming Attendance Allowance, arsenic good arsenic different benefits, you tin get an other £81.50 a week.

Meanwhile, you tin get either £66.29 a week oregon £76.79 a week for each kid you're liable and caring for.

The rules down who qualifies for Pension Credit tin beryllium complicated, truthful the champion happening to bash is conscionable check.

You tin bash this by calling the Pension Service helpline connected 0800 99 1234 from 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday oregon by utilizing escaped online calculators.

Those in Northern Ireland have to telephone the Pension Centre connected 0808 100 6165 from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday.

It mightiness beryllium worthy a sojourn to your section Citizens Advice subdivision excessively - its unit should beryllium capable to connection you assistance for free.

Pension Credit is known arsenic a "gateway" payment which means it opens up a big of perks, similar the winter substance payment and a escaped TV licence if you are 75 oregon older.

It besides unlocks discounts connected your council tax and the Warm Home Discount, if you are connected the Guarantee Credit portion of the benefit.

What is the Winter Fuel Payment?

Consumer newsman Sam Walker explains each you request to cognize astir the payment.

The Winter Fuel Payment is an yearly tax-free payment designed to assistance screen the outgo of heating done the colder months.

Most who are eligible person the outgo automatically.

Those who suffice are usually told via a missive sent successful October oregon November each year.

If you bash conscionable the criteria but don't automatically get the Winter Fuel Payment, you volition person to apply on the government's website.

You'll suffice for a Winter Fuel Payment this wintertime if:

you were calved connected oregon earlier September 23, 1958
you lived successful the UK for astatine slightest 1 time during the week of September 16 to 22, 2024, known arsenic the "qualifying week"
you person Pension Credit, Universal Credit, ESA, JSA, Income Support, Child Tax Credit oregon Working Tax Credit

If you did not unrecorded successful the UK during the qualifying week, you mightiness inactive get the outgo if some the pursuing apply:

you unrecorded successful Switzerland oregon a EEA country
you person a "genuine and sufficient" nexus with the UK societal information system, specified arsenic having lived oregon worked successful the UK and having a household successful the UK

But determination are exclusions - you can’t get the outgo if you unrecorded successful Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal oregon Spain.

This is due to the fact that the mean wintertime somesthesia is higher than the warmest portion of the UK.

You volition besides not suffice if you:

are successful infirmary getting escaped attraction for much than a year
need support to participate the UK and your granted permission states that you tin not assertion nationalist funds
were successful situation for the full "qualifying week"
lived successful a attraction location for the full clip betwixt 26 June to 24 September 2023, and got Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance oregon income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Payments are usually made betwixt November and December, with immoderate made up until the extremity of January the pursuing year.

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