23 September 2023 , 17:39
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Households with at least one person aged between 66 and 79 are likely to receive £500 as part of the Winter Fuel Payment.
The support will help millions of households from November, the Government confirmed. Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently published the 2023/24 Winter Fuel Payment guidance with a full breakdown of how it'll help with heating bills over the colder months.
DWP Pensions Minister Laura Trott MBE MP also said households with someone aged 80 and over will receive £600. In a written response to Sir David Evennett MP, Ms Trott said: "Over eight million UK households on eligible means tested benefits, including the 1.4 million pensioners currently in receipt of Pension Credit, will receive additional cost of living payments totalling up to £900 in the 2023/24 financial year.
"In addition, over eight million pensioner households will receive a £300 pensioner cost of living payment as a top up to their Winter Fuel Payment later this year increasing payments to £500 for households with someone aged 66-79 and £600 for households with someone aged 80 and over."
As part of the UK Government's new cost of living financial support package, if you are entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment in 2023/24, you will also get an extra £150 or £300 top-up with your normal payment from November, reports Daily Record. This means eligible households could receive between £250 and £600 - a list of eligible households and corresponding payment can be found further down this article.
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Some 11.4 million people over State Pension age received up to £600 in Winter Fuel Payments and cost of living support by December last year. If you are eligible, you will receive a letter in October from the DWP telling you how much money you are due to be paid. Below is an overview of the Winter Fuel Payment eligibility for 2023/24 and a breakdown of payments by household type.
Am I eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment?
To be eligible for this year's Winter Fuel Payment, you must have been born before September 25, 1957 and lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of September 18-24, 2023 - this is called the 'qualifying week'.
If you did not meet either of these qualifying criteria, or if you live abroad, you may need to make a claim. If you've had a Winter Fuel Payment before, you do not need to claim again unless you've deferred your State Pension or moved abroad - find out more here.
Who does not need to make a claim?
You do not need to claim if you get any of the following:
- State Pension
- Pension Credit
- Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Carers Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Income Support
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Awards from the War Pensions Scheme
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Incapacity Benefit
- Industrial Death Benefit
If you do not get a letter from the DWP in October, or the money has not been paid into your account by January 26, 2024, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre - more details at GOV.UK here.
How to make a claim
You can claim Winter Fuel Payment by:
- Post - from September 18, 2023
- Phone - from October 4, 2023
The deadline for you to make a claim for winter 2023 to 2024 is March 31, 2024. More details about making a claim can be found on GOV.UK here.
If you live alone or no one you live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment
You will get either:
- £500 if you were born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957
- £600 if you were born before September 25, 1943
If you live with someone else who’s eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment
Your payment may be different if you get one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
If you do not get any of the benefits listed above
You will get a payment of either:
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- £250 if you and the person you live with were both born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957
- £250 if you were born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957, but the person you live with was born before September 25, 1943
- £350 if you were born before September 25, 1943, but the person you live with was born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957
- £300 if you and the person you live with were both born before September 25, 1943
If you and your partner jointly claim any of the benefits listed above
One of you will get a payment of either:
- £500 if both of you were born between September 25, 194,3 and September 24, 1957
- £600 if one or both of you were born before September 25, 1943
If you get any of the benefits listed above (not as part of a joint claim)
You will get a payment of either:
- £500 if you were born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957
- £600 if you were born before September 25, 1943
If you live in a care home
If you are eligible you will get either:
- £250 if you were born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957
- £300 if you were born before September 25, 1943
Eligibility if you live in a care home
You can get Winter Fuel Payment if you live in a care home. You will not be eligible if both of the following apply:
- you get Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- you lived in a care home for the whole time from June 26 to September 24, 2023
Who is not eligible for Winter Fuel Payments 2023/24?
You will not be eligible if you:
- have been in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
- need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says that you cannot claim public funds
- were in prison for the whole of the week of September 18-24, 2023
Full details about the Winter Fuel Payment for 2023/24 can be found on GOV.UK here.