BILL BOOST
Exact date Winter Fuel Payment letters will land on doormats – will you get £300 bill boost?
Keep scrolling to see if you are eligible for payment
THOUSANDS of households will soon receive letters confirming their entitlement to a £300 cash boost.
The Winter Fuel Payment is a state benefit paid once a year to pensioners to help cover the costs of heating during the colder months.
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It was avaible to everyone aged 66 and over but recent cuts made by Chancellor Rachel Reeve mean only those on means-tested benefits, such as Pension Credit, will now get the help.
How much you recieve also depends on what year you were born.
For example, if you live alone you will get £200 if you were born between September 23 1944 and September 22 1958.
But you will get £300 if you live alone and were born before 23 September 1944.
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If you and your partner jointly claim any of the benefits, one of you will get a payment of either:
- £200 if one or both of you were born between September 23 1944 and September 22 1958
- £300 if one or both of you were born before September 23 1944
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will begin sending letters to pensioners who quailfy for the payment in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. by the end of October.
For customers in Scotland the target date for issuing the letters will be in November.
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All quailfying pensioners across the UK should recieve their payment of either £200 or £300 by November or December.
The money is paid automatically in your bank account.
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If you do not get a letter or the money has not been paid into your account by January 29 2025 it is recomennded you get in contact with the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
This is operated by the DWP and can reached on the telephone by calling 0800 731 0160.
You can also send a letter via the psot to Winter Fuel Payment Centre. Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 1LR.
When you contact the payment centre, you’ll need to tell them your personal details like:
- Your name
- Your address
- Your date of birth
- Your National Insurance number
Who is eligble for the Winter Fuel Payment
You will receive the Winter Fuel Payment if you are aged 66 or above and on any of the following benefits.
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income Support
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
You may also recieve the benefit if you are a UK pensioner who lives abroad.
A partner below the state pension age may also be eligible for the £300 payment if they live with a partner who is over state pension age and they jointly claim benefits.
It is worth noting that around 800,000 older people risk missing out on the £300 Winter Fuel Payment because they have not first registered for Pension Credit.
The benefit is a weekly payment from the government to those over the state pension age who have an income below a certain level.
If your claim is successful then the benefit will top up your income to £218.15 a week if you are single, or £11,343.80 a year.
It will also give you access to the Winter Fuel Payment.
You will need to have been claiming Pension Credit in the 'qualifying week' of September 16 to 22, 2024.
But claims can be backdated by three months meaning you have until December 21 to make a claim and still get the Winter Fuel Payment.
If you want to check your eligibility then it is worth checking out our article here.
You can also find free-to-use online benefits calculators to work out what you're entitled to.
For example, Age UK has an online calculator which helps you work out what benefits you could be entitled to including the Winter Fuel Payment and Pension Credit.
According to the site it takes 10 minutes to complete and you will need the following information:
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- Your savings
- Your income, including your partner's if you have one
- Any benefits or pensions you're already claiming, including anyone you're living with.
The calculator is free to use and confidential.
Crucial to claim Pension Credit if you can
HUNDREDS of thousands of pensioners are missing out on Pension Credit.
The Sun's Assistant Consumer Editor Lana Clements explains why it's imperative to apply for the benefit..
Pension Credit is designed to top up the income of the UK's poorest pensioners.
In itself the payment is a vital lifeline for older people with little income.
It will take weekly income up to to £218.15 if you’re single or joint income to £332.95.
Yet, an estimated 800,000 don't claim this support. Not only are they missing on this cash, but far more extra support that is unlocked when claiming Pension Credit.
With the winter fuel payment - worth up to £300 now being restricted to pensioners claiming Pension Credit - it's more important than ever to claim the benefit if you can.
Pension Credit also opens up help with housing costs, council tax or heating bills and even a free TV licence if you are 75 or older.
All this extra support can make a huge difference to the quality of life for a struggling pensioner.
It's not difficult to apply for Pension Credit, you can do it up to four months before you reach state pension age through the government website or by calling 0800 99 1234.
You’ll just need your National Insurance number, as well as information about income, savings and investments.
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