Winter Fuel Payment, Eligibility Criteria, Payout Amount & Other Details 

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Winter Fuel Payment

Recently, the UK government has made some changes in winter fuel payment, it is now available to pensioners who receive pension credits or other tax-free support only. The pensioners can check if they are entitled to receive the winter fuel payment, and how & when to claim the payment here. 

Winter Fuel Payment 

The UK government supports the elderly above state pension age with fuel costs & heating bills in the winter month through winter fuel payments. It was a universal annual tax-free payment for the beneficiaries, however, recently, the government has made some changes in the benefit to cut down the benefit cost. 

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves has said that the winter fuel payments which were previously a universal payment since 1997, will no longer be a universal payment in England and Wales. She further added that pensioners who are on pension credit or receive any means-tested benefits will only receive the Winter Fuel payment. 

This decision has dropped the number of eligible people entitled to winter fuel payments to 1.5 million from the previous 11.4 million. To make people aware of the changes and make it easy for the pensioners to understand the current amendments, and claim the winter fuel payment, the government has launched an awareness campaign. 

The awareness drive of the newly formed Labour government will identify eligible households who have not claimed the benefit and drive them to claim the benefit by 21 December 2024, the last date to claim pension credit to get the Winter Fuel payment benefits.

Who is entitled to the Winter Fuel Payment?

People living who wish to cover their expenses the energy bill in the winter through Winter fuel payments for 2024-25, must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • You should be over pension age, born before 23 September 1958.
  • You live in Wales or England and receive any of the following benefits:
  • Universal Credit
  • Income Support
  • Pension Credit
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • If you are living abroad, you will be entitled to Winter Fuel payment only when:
  • You shifted to an eligible country before 1 January 2021
  • You have a genuine connection with the UK, like you have a family living in the UK or you have lived or worked in the UK.
  • Your birth date is before 23 September 1958

Exclusions:

  • When you live in Scotland becauseScotland already provides annual Pension Age Winter Heating payment.
  • Your criminal background and have been in prison for a whole week from 16 September 2024 to 22 September 2024.
  • You are in a hospital for more than a year and receive free treatment
  • You live in the residential care home, however, you will receive the Winter Fuel Payment, if you lived in a care home for less than 13 weeks, where the weeks 16 to 22 Sep 2024 are also included.
  • You can’t enter the UK without permission and you cannot claim public funds.

How much will you get through the Winter Fuel payment?

The winter fuel payment amount depends on your circumstances between 16 September and September 2024 and when you were born. The winter fuel payment is tax-free payment, it depends on your circumstances in the following way:

  • When you live alone:
  • People born between 23 September 1944 and 22 September 1958 will be entitled to £200,
  • People born before 23 September 1944 will be entitled to £300
  • When you live with someone and claim the winter fuel payment jointly, one of you will receive the payment based on the above conditions.
  • When you live in a care home but are eligible for the Winter fuel payment, you will receive the payment as per the above condition.

The pension credits ensure your minimum weekly earned income is £218.15 and your joint family income as a couple is £332. 

What to prepare before you claim the Winter Fuel payment?

The pensioners who meet the eligibility requirement for the 2024-25  Winter Fuel Payment should prepare the following documents before claiming the benefit:

  • National Insurance number
  • The date you got married or entered into a civil partnership 
  • Your building society or bank account details
  • You must tell whether, during the qualifying week(16 September 2024 to 22 September 2024), you were in a residential care home in a hospital & getting free treatment, or living abroad. 

Before you go to claim the Winter Fuel payment, you should also check your pension credits on the credit calculator to determine your eligibility for the government benefit for the fuel cost in the Winter month. 

How to claim Winter Fuel Payment? 

If you receive the income support, JSA, ESA, and pension credit, you automatically qualify to receive the Winter fuel payment. 

However, if you receive the Universal credit, you must check if you are eligible to receive the Winter Fuel payment and have to claim the Winter Fuel payment. You can claim the Winter fuel payment in the following ways:

  • Post: You can fill out the Winter Fuel Payments claim form for UK residents by downloading it from the official government website and posting it to the following address, you can start the claiming from 16 September 2024:
  • Winter Fuel Payment Center
  • Mail Handling Site A
  • Wolverhampton
  • WV98 1 LR
  • By phone: From 100 October 2024, you can claim the winter fuel payment by calling the following number between Monday to Friday (8 AM to 6 PM):
  • Telephone 0800 731 0160
  • Textphone: call 18001 and then 0800 731 0160

The eligible pensioners who receive pension credit or any means-tested benefits can apply for the Winter Fuel payment benefit for 2024-25 by the last date, 31 March 2025. According to the reports, the UK household energy bill will rise this winter by £146 in October due to the Russian-Ukraine conflict, so if you are eligible to claim the Winter Fuel payment. 

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