DWP Winter Fuel Payment eligibility changes - who qualifies for £300 support

This year, millions of radical connected circumstantial benefits are acceptable to person a fiscal boost from the Department of Work and Pensions to assistance with their heating expenses

This year, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) is acceptable to supply a fiscal boost to millions of radical connected circumstantial benefits to assistance with their heating costs. However the authorities has dramatically altered who is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment this year, importantly reducing the fig of pensioners who tin entree this money.

Labour's strategy aimed astatine cutting the fig of radical being paid the currency means that it volition present beryllium means tested. In opposition to past twelvemonth erstwhile each pensioner automatically qualified for this one-off payment, which typically starts hitting accounts successful November, it volition present lone beryllium disposable to those connected Pension Credit oregon definite different entitlements.

Eligible Winter Fuel Payment benefits

You tin suffice for a Winter Fuel Payment this twelvemonth if you were calved earlier September 23, 1958 and unrecorded successful Scotland, England, oregon Wales portion receiving 1 of the specified benefits. In definite circumstances, you whitethorn beryllium eligible adjacent if you unrecorded abroad:

• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• Working Tax oregon Child Tax Credits

When you won't beryllium eligible

You won't beryllium eligible if:

• Are not successful receipt of 1 of the means-tested benefits listed above

• Have been successful infirmary getting escaped attraction for much than a year
• Need support to participate the UK and your granted permission says that you cannot assertion nationalist funds
• Were successful situation for the full of the qualifying week of September 16 to 22, 2024

How overmuch Winter Fuel Payment you'll receive

If you unrecorded alone, you'll person either:

• £200 if you were calved betwixt September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958
• £300 if you were calved earlier September 23, 1944

If you unrecorded with idiosyncratic and jointly assertion immoderate of the benefits, 1 of you volition person a outgo of either:

• £200 if some of you were calved betwixt September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958
• £300 if 1 oregon some of you were calved earlier September 23, 1944

If you unrecorded successful a attraction location and are eligible, you'll person either:

• £100 if you were calved betwixt September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958
• £150 if you were calved earlier September 23, 1944

Check if you request to claim

If you don't person immoderate of the qualifying means-tested benefits, you'll request to assertion if either of the pursuing apply:

• You person not received the Winter Fuel Payment before
• You oregon your spouse get Universal Credit

How to claim

You tin assertion your Winter Fuel Payment by:

• Post - from September 30, 2024
• Phone - from October 28, 2024

If you're connected Universal Credit, you'll beryllium informed however to assertion done a connection successful your journal.

The deadline for wintertime 2024 to 2025 claims is acceptable for March 31, 2025. Comprehensive accusation astir eligibility and payments tin beryllium recovered connected the Winter Fuel Payment conception of the GOV.UK website.