New Winter Fuel Payment update for older people due up to £600 this year (2024)

People of State Pension age can make a new claim for the Winter Fuel Payment, which is worth up to £600, over the phone from October 4. The annual heating bill help will be paid directly from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to eligible households and is being boosted this year by an additional pensioner cost of living payment.

If you are eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment in 2023/24, you will also get an extra £150 or £300 cost of living top-up - the money is due to be paid in November or December. This means eligible households could receive between £250 and £600 to offset higher heating costs during the colder months.

If you received the one-off lump sum last year, you will not need to apply again as most payments will be made automatically. However, some people may need to claim and this can be done by post now or over the phone from Wednesday, October 4.

Below is everything you need to know about the Winter Fuel Payment including eligibility, who needs to claim, who might not qualify and how much to expect.

DWP will send out letters this month letting you know how much you will be paid - payments usually start in November and will continue until January 26, 2024 - full details about the payment can be found on GOV.UK here.

Check if you need to claim 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 18 to 24 September 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

Winter Fuel Payments if you live abroad

If you do not live in the UK, you are only eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment if:

• you moved to an eligible country before January 1, 2021
• you were born before September 25, 1957
• you have a genuine and sufficient link to the UK - this can include having lived or worked in the UK, and having family in the UK

Eligible countries

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• Germany
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Sweden
• Switzerland

When to claim

You only need to claim Winter Fuel Payment if you have not received it since you moved abroad. The rest of the time, you’ll get the payment automatically.

How to make a claim

You can claim Winter Fuel Payment by:

• Post
• Phone - from Wednesday, October 4, 2023

How to claim by post

You will need to download and fill in:

• a Winter Fuel Payment claim form - available on GOV.UK here
• form IPCF091, if you’re a UK national or UK dual national living in an eligible country other than Ireland - available on GOV.UK here

Full details on claiming if you live abroad are on GOV.UK here. If you live in the UK, full details on making a new claim can be found here.

The deadline for you to make a claim for winter 2023 to 2024 is March 31, 2024.

How much you will be paid

Any money you get is paid directly to you, is tax-free and will not affect your other benefits. Remember, DWP will send you a letter this month (October) telling you how much money you will receive.

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:

• £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, 1943 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 26 June to 24 September 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 18 to 24 September 2023

Full details about the Winter Fuel Payment for 2023/24 can be found on GOV.UK here.

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