Exact age that pensioners get £100 extra winter fuel payment explained

THE Winter Fuel Payment is paid astatine 2 rates with older radical receiving £100 much than those person to the authorities pension age.

The payment is paid to assistance those implicit the authorities pension property of 66 with their energy bills implicit the wintertime months.

It is worthy up to £300 and was antecedently paid universally to each pensioners.

But from this twelvemonth it volition beryllium means tested and only those connected definite benefits volition beryllium eligible to person funds.

Those on Pension Credit, Income Support, Tax Credits and Universal Credit stay eligible for the payment, but 10million are acceptable to miss out.

The magnitude radical person done the outgo depends connected erstwhile they were born.

It is worthy £200 for eligible households wherever each residents were calved  between 23 September 1944 and 22 September 1958, oregon £300 for eligible households wherever idiosyncratic is aged implicit 80.

To suffice for this year's benefit, you indispensable beryllium 66 oregon implicit and person had an progressive assertion for 1 of the qualifying benefits during what's known arsenic the "qualifying week" - this year, from September 16 to 22.

However, Pension Credit claims tin beryllium backdated by 3 months, truthful those who deliberation they whitethorn beryllium eligible for the payment inactive person clip to marque a claim.

As agelong arsenic claims are made by December 21, they volition beryllium capable to entree this year's wintertime substance allowance.

The changes to the wintertime substance allowance person prompted faced a backlash from charities and campaigners since it was archetypal announced.

Its interaction was revealed when thousands of Sun readers flooded The Sun's Winter Fuel SOS helpline earlier this month, looking for assistance to bent connected to the payment.

The Sun has since launched a free tool to assistance you cheque whether you volition get the wintertime substance outgo this year.

Even if you're not eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment you whitethorn inactive beryllium capable to get £150 disconnected your vigor costs done the Warm Home Discount scheme.

There are 2 Warm Home Discount schemes - 1 for England and Wales, and 1 for Scotland.

Those surviving in England and Wales bash not request to use for the scheme, but those surviving successful Scotland do.

Between present and December, the authorities volition contented letters to households that suffice for the scheme.

However, to beryllium eligible for the discount households indispensable person had an progressive assertion for immoderate of the pursuing benefits connected Sunday, August 11:

• Guaranteed recognition constituent of pension credit
• Income support
• Income-based jobseeker's allowance
• Income-related employment and enactment allowance
• Housing benefit
• Universal Credit
• Child tax credit
• Working taxation credits
• The "Savings Credit" portion of pension credit

There whitethorn besides beryllium assistance disposable done the Household Support Fund, which is administered done section authorities.

The money is worthy £421million and aims to assistance with gas, electricity, and nutrient during the wintertime months.

To find retired what enactment you could entree interaction your section council.

CHECK IF YOU QUALIFY FOR PENSION CREDIT

Pension credit tops up your play income to £218.15 if you are azygous oregon to £332.95 if you person a spouse and tin springiness you entree to the wintertime substance allowance.

This is known arsenic "guarantee credit".

If your income is little than this, you're precise apt to beryllium eligible for the benefit.

However, if your income is somewhat higher, you mightiness inactive beryllium eligible for pension recognition if you person a disability, you attraction for someone, you person savings oregon you person lodging costs.

You could get an other £81.50 a week if you person a disability or assertion immoderate of the following:

• Attendance allowance
• The mediate oregon highest complaint from the attraction constituent of disablement surviving allowance (DLA)
• The regular surviving constituent of personal independency outgo (PIP)
• Armed forces independency payment
• The regular surviving constituent of big disablement outgo (ADP) astatine the modular oregon enhanced rate.

You could get the "savings credit" portion of pension recognition if some of the pursuing apply:

• You reached State Pension property earlier April 6, 2016
• You saved immoderate wealth for retirement, for example, a idiosyncratic oregon workplace pension

This portion of pension recognition is worthy £17.01 for azygous radical oregon £19.04 for couples.

Pension recognition opens the doorway to different support, including lodging benefits, cost of living payments, council tax reductions and the wintertime substance payment.

Claims for pension recognition besides unfastened doors to a fig of freebies and discounts.

For example, pension recognition claimants implicit 75 suffice for a escaped TV licence worthy up to £169.50 a year.

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