MARTIN Lewis has explained however you tin entreaty if your wintertime substance outgo is cancelled, but his reply is surprising.
The laminitis of MoneySavingExpert.com shared the proposal portion delivering his ITV Money Show Live Budget Special.
The proposal came successful effect to 1 spectator who wrote into the amusement and asked the user champion: "I person conscionable received a missive from the DWP cancelling my winter substance payment.
"I volition conflict to wage my inferior bills without this.
"I judge it whitethorn beryllium imaginable to inquire for a 'Mandatory Reconsideration' to effort to overturn this. Is it correct?"
The winter fuel payment, worthy up to £300, was antecedently disposable to everyone implicit the state pension age (66).
However, cuts made by Chancellor Rachel Reeves mean the outgo is constricted to retirees on pension credit or those receiving definite six different means-tested benefits.
In effect to the viewer, Martin said: "So look, a mandatory reconsideration would beryllium if you deliberation determination has been an mistake successful the facts that you gave them erstwhile you're assessed for benefits.
"My suspicion is, that's not what's going on.
"Winter substance payments utilized to beryllium universal, but present they are means tested.
"And it's means tested for astir radical based connected eligibility for pension credit."
Instead of a mandatory reconsideration, Martin said that the scholar should cheque whether they suffice for the payment first.
He added: "Do you person net of nether astir £220 a week? If it's nether that level, use for pension credit.
"It's worthy an mean of £3,900 a year, and you volition get your wintertime substance payment.
Could you beryllium eligible for Pension Credit?
We've explained however to cheque if you're eligible for pension credit and taxable a mandatory reconsideration if you deliberation you've been wrongly denied it.
CHECK IF YOU QUALIFY
Pension credit tops up your play income to £218.15 if you are azygous oregon to £332.95 if you person a partner.
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.
Claims for the payment besides supply eligibility to £25 a week cold upwind payments and the £150 lukewarm location discount.
The Sun has launched a free tool to assistance you cheque whether you are eligible for benefits.
The escaped benefits checker is successful concern with poorness charity Turn2Us arsenic portion of our Winter Fuel SOS campaign.
If you've applied an deliberation you were wrongly rejected, you tin inquire for a mandatory reconsideration.
How bash I use for pension credit?
YOU tin commencement your exertion up to 4 months earlier you scope authorities pension age.
Applications for pension recognition tin beryllium made connected the authorities website oregon by ringing the pension recognition assertion enactment connected 0800 99 1234.
You tin get a person oregon household subordinate to ringing for you, but you'll request to beryllium with them erstwhile they do.
You'll request the pursuing accusation astir you and your spouse if you person one:
- National Insurance number
- Information astir immoderate income, savings and investments you have
- Information astir your income, savings and investments connected the day you privation to backdate your exertion to (usually 3 months agone oregon the day you reached authorities pension age)
You tin besides cheque your eligibility online by visiting ov.uk/pension-credit first.
If you assertion aft you scope pension age, you tin backdate your assertion for up to 3 months.
How bash I inquire for a mandatory reconsideration?
If you disagree with a determination astir pension credit, you tin inquire for the determination to beryllium looked astatine again - this is called "mandatory reconsideration".
It's escaped to inquire for mandatory reconsideration.
You tin inquire for mandatory reconsideration if immoderate of the pursuing apply:
- You deliberation the bureau dealing with your assertion has made an mistake oregon missed important evidence
- You disagree with the reasons for the decision
- You privation to person the determination looked astatine again
Some decisions cannot beryllium reconsidered. Others tin go straight to an appeal.
Your archetypal determination missive volition accidental if this applies to you.
You usually request to inquire for mandatory reconsideration wrong 1 period of the day of the decision.
You tin inquire for it aft 1 period if you person a bully reason, for example, if you’ve been successful infirmary oregon had a bereavement.
Make definite you recognize the crushed for the determination you received earlier you inquire for mandatory reconsideration.
This volition assistance you explicate wherefore you disagree.
To inquire for a mandatory reconsideration you'll request to interaction the benefits office that gave you the decision.
You tin interaction them:
- By phone
- By letter
- By filling successful and returning a form for asking for mandatory reconsideration
The interaction details are ever provided connected your determination letter.
But if you bash not person your determination letter, contact the office where you applied for the benefit.
When you inquire for mandatory reconsideration, you request to give:
- The day of the archetypal payment decision
- Your sanction and address
- Your day of birth
- Your National Insurance number
Explain what portion of the determination is incorrect and wherefore - you tin nonstop grounds to enactment your reasons.
Any grounds you nonstop needs to enactment your reasons for wherefore the determination was wrong. It could, for example, be:
- New aesculapian evidence
- Bank statements oregon payslips
- Details connected rental and work complaint payments
Once you've sent your evidence, the benefits bureau that gave you the archetypal payment determination volition reconsider it.
When they've reconsidered it, you’ll get a missive called a "mandatory reconsideration notice" telling you whether they’ve changed the decision.
The mandatory reconsideration announcement volition explicate the reasons for that determination and the grounds it was based on.
If you disagree with the outcome, you can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal if you deliberation the determination successful the mandatory reconsideration announcement is wrong.
A justice volition perceive to some sides of the statement earlier making a decision.
You usually request to entreaty wrong 1 period of the day of your mandatory reconsideration notice.
How overmuch is the wintertime substance outgo and however is it paid?
PAYMENTS past twelvemonth were worthy betwixt £300 and £600, depending connected your circumstantial circumstances.
This is due to the fact that the magnitude included a "Pensioner Cost of Living Payment" - betwixt £150 and £300.
This year, it volition beryllium worthy £200 for eligible households oregon £300 for eligible households with idiosyncratic aged implicit 80.
That means you could person up to £300 successful escaped currency depending connected your circumstances.
Most payments are made automatically successful November oregon December.
You'll get a missive telling you:
- How overmuch you'll get
- Which slope relationship it volition beryllium paid into
If you bash not get a missive oregon the money has not been paid into your relationship by January 29, 2025, you indispensable interaction the Winter Fuel Payment Centre connected 0800 731 0160.