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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has given the winter fuel payment for millions the chop – but there are still some who can claim it. The £200 payment to aid people during the chillier months was axed for anyone not on pensions credit – meaning about 10 million will miss out of the 11 million who originally received it.
However there are around 800,000 people who are eligible who don’t claim that benefit. State pensioners born between September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958 will be entitled to the £200 Winter Fuel Payment if they live alone, as per the DWP’s guidelines. Meanwhile, those born on or before September 22, 1944 may receive an increased sum of £300 – if they claim pensions credit.
Couples who jointly claim any benefits will qualify for a single payment: £200 if either partner was born in the specified period from September 1944 to September 1958, or £300 if either was born before September 23, 1944.
Beneficiaries will receive payments directly into the bank account where they usually get their benefits. For care home residents, eligibility criteria remain unchanged, with entitlements to either £200 or £300 based on their birth date.
At the Labour Party Conference today delegates have voted in favour of a motion calling for the winter fuel cut to be reversed in a blow for the leadership. The motion, named An Economy for the Future and tabled by Sharon Graham of the Unite union, was narrowly carried by a show of hands in a rowdy hall at the Labour Party annual conference.
However afterwards Labour reaffirmed its decision to cut the winter fuel payment after party delegates voted for the Government to reverse the move.
Following a motion to stop the policy, which narrowly passed by a show of hands at the party’s annual conference, a Labour spokesperson said: “The Tories wrecked our economy and left a £22 billion black hole in the public finances. They made commitments they couldn’t pay for, covered it up and ran away.
“The Labour Party was elected on our manifesto commitment to sound fiscal rules, economic growth is our primary mission and we will take the tough decisions now to rebuild Britain and make every part of the country better off.”
Details on who qualifies for Winter Fuel Payment this year have been clarified. Those eligible include individuals born on or before 23rd September 1958 residing in Scotland, England, or Wales, and in receipt of specified benefits.
Eligible Winter Fuel Payment benefits
You can qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment this year if you were born before 23rd September 1958 and live in Scotland, England, or Wales while receiving one of the specified benefits. In certain circumstances, you may be eligible even if you live abroad:
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income Support
- Working Tax or Child Tax Credits
When you won’t be eligible
You won’t be eligible if:
- Are not in receipt of one of the means-tested benefits listed above
- 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 qualifying week of September 16 to 22, 2024
How much Winter Fuel Payment you’ll receive
If you live alone, you’ll receive either:
- £200 if you were born between September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958
- £300 if you were born before September 23, 1944
If you live with someone and jointly claim any of the benefits, one of you will receive a payment of either:
- £200 if 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
If you live in a care home and are eligible, you’ll receive either:
- £100 if you were born between September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958
- £150 if you were born before September 23, 1944
Check if you need to claim
If you don’t receive any of the qualifying means-tested benefits, you’ll need to claim if either of the following apply:
How to claim
You can claim your Winter Fuel Payment by:
- Post – from September 30, 2024
- Phone – from October 28, 2024
If you’re on Universal Credit, you’ll be informed how to claim through a message in your journal.
The deadline for winter 2024 to 2025 claims is set for March 31, 2025. Comprehensive information about eligibility and payments can be found on the Winter Fuel Payment section of the GOV.UK website.