State pensioners given £4,375 from DWP after winter fuel cut

State pensioners tin assertion up to £4,375 from the DWP (Image: Getty)

State pensioners who missed retired connected a Winter Fuel Payment tin assertion up to £4,375 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) this winter.

Up until past year, the Winter Fuel Payment - which is worthy up to £300 - was disposable to each pension-age households, but eligibility changes made by Labour present mean millions of pensioners miss out.

The formerly cosmopolitan payment is present a means-tested payment and lone goes to households who are successful receipt of Pension Credit, oregon immoderate of the following:

• Universal Credit

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

• Income Support

• Child Tax Credit

• Working Tax Credit

The alteration was made to guarantee the outgo goes to households that request it most, but pensioners who are lone conscionable supra the affordability threshold present miss out.

The fig of eligible households has present dropped from astir 11 cardinal to conscionable implicit 1 million, but determination are different forms of fiscal enactment pensioners tin assertion to assistance screen heating costs this winter.

The DWP has issued a caller telephone for pensioners to use for Pension Credit arsenic portion of Energy Savers Week, which runs until January 26.

The authorities said the payment unsocial is worthy £4,200 per year, but it besides opens the doorway to different fiscal wintertime payments including a £150 Warm Home Discount.

Pensioners whitethorn besides beryllium eligible for Cold Weather Payments this winter, which are worthy £25, truthful anyone that claims each 3 could get up to £4,375 from the DWP.

In a station connected X (formerly Twitter), the authorities section said: “This Energy Savers Week, Pension Credit could springiness you:

- £150 disconnected vigor bills with a Warm Home Discount

- An mean of £4,200 per year

- Cold Weather Payments (and more)

“It takes astir 16 minutes to apply online.”

Pension Credit provides other wealth to screen surviving costs to pensioners connected a debased income, and acts arsenic a gateway to a wealthiness of different enactment truthful it’s good worthy checking if you are eligible to assertion it.

You indispensable unrecorded successful England, Scotland oregon Wales and person reached State Pension property to qualify. The payment tops up your play income to £218.15 if you’re single, oregon up to £332.95 if you person a partner.

The DWP says you tin commencement an exertion up to 4 months earlier you scope State Pension property - which is 66 for some men and women - and immoderate clip after, but your exertion tin lone beryllium backdated by 3 months.

You tin apply online via GOV.UK oregon by calling the Pension Credit assertion enactment connected 0800 99 1234.