State pensioners will soon be receiving letters to confirm their eligibility for the DWP’s Winter Fuel Payment benefit.
The Winter Fuel Payment, distributed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), helps pensioners with heating bills during the colder months, providing between £100 and £300 to those who meet the criteria.
The payment was previously available to everyone above the state pension age in the UK, but this year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has changed the rules, and only state pensioners on means-tested benefits will qualify.
Payment amounts range between £200 to £300, and much people get depends on the date they were born.
People who live alone will get:
- £200 if they were born between September 23, 1944, and September 22, 1958
- £300 if they were born before September 23, 1944.
If a person and their partner jointly claim any of the benefits, one will get a payment of either:
- £200 if one or both were born between September 23, 1944, and September 22, 1958
- £300 if one or both were born before September 23, 1944.
The DWP will start sending letters to eligible pensioners in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the end of October.
The target date for issuing the letters to households in Scotland will be in November.
Who is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment
In line with new rules, people can get a Winter Fuel Payment for 2024 to 2025 if they were born before September 23, 1958.
They must also live in England or Wales and get one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income Support.
An estimated 880,000 pensioners may be eligible for Pension Credit but aren’t claiming it, making it vital for individuals to check eligibility as it may qualify them for the Winter Fuel Payment Support.
