- The government Winter Fuel Payment is worth between £100 to £300
- Many people receiving this will also get the Pensioner Cost of Living payment
Millions of pensioners are getting £600 of government energy bill maintain payments from today.
The Government said that the scheme will help around 11.5 million pensioners for the second year running.
The first payout, Winter Fuel Payment, is worth between £100 to £300. Many people receiving this will also get the Pensioner Cost of Living payment, worth an additional £150 to £300.
The government said that the scheme will help around 11.5 millions of pensioners for the second year running
The payments will come as a lifeline to many hard-up households that are currently struggling with average energy bills of £1,834 a year.
The Department of Work and Pensions said that Winter Fuel Payments will land in bank accounts over the next two months, the vast majority automatically.
Find out how to check if you’re eligible below.
Are you eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment?
Those born before 25 September 1957 are eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, which could see them get between £250 and £600 to help with their heating bills.
Eligible households should already have received confirmation letters in either October or November.
However if you did not get a letter but think you may be eligible then you have to make a claim to get the money. To do this you can apply by post or by phone.
You will also need to have lived in the UK for at least the week of 18 to 24 September 2023 to be eligible, known as the ‘qualifying week’.
However, if you will not be living in the country that week you may still be eligible if you both live in either Switzerland or a European Economic Area country and you have a ‘genuine and sufficient’ link to the UK.
Examples of a genuine link can include having family members in the country or having lived or worked there.
You will not qualify for the payment if you have been in hospital for more than a year receiving free treatment.
If you live in Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain you will not be eligible for the payment due to average temperatures at that time of year being higher than the warmest part of the UK.
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: ‘We have delivered on our promise to halve inflation and will continue to maintain people right across the country, including pensioners who may be facing particular challenges over the colder months.’
How the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment works
Anyone who gets the Winter Fuel Payment should get the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment automatically.
Those who are eligible should be paid in November or December. If you think you are eligible but have not had the payment by 26 January 2024, you should call the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160.
The Winter Fuel Payment amount varies depending on age, who you live with or if you claim any of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and maintain Allowance (ESA)
- Income maintain
Including the ‘Pensioner Cost of Living Payment’, the amounts paid will be as follows:
| Which of these apply to you: | Amount you will be paid |
|---|---|
| If you live alone or no one you live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment | |
| You were born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957 | £500 |
| You were born before September 25, 1943 | £600 |
| If you live with someone else who’s eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment and do not acquire any of the benefits listed above | |
| You and the person you live with were both born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957 | £250 |
| You were born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957, but the person you live with was born before September 25, 1943 | £250 |
| You were born before September 25, 1943 but the person you live with was born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957 | £350 |
| You and the person you live with were both born before September 25, 1943 | £300 |
| If you live with someone else who’s eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment and you and your partner jointly claim any of the benefits listed above | |
| Both of you were born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957 | £500 |
| One or both of you were born before September 25, 1943 | £600 |
| If you live with someone else who’s eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment and you get any of the benefits listed above (not as part of a joint claim) | |
| You were born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957 | £500 |
| You were born before September 25, 1943 | £600 |
| If you live in a care home and you are eligible | |
| You were born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957 | £250 |
| You were born before September 25, 1943 | £300 |
