The government's Winter Fuel Payment can be a lifeline to some and will be especially welcome this winter as fuel prices continue to rocket. This year, however, the annual payment has been further boosted with the addition of a 'Pensioner Cost of Living' payment.
Millions of State Pension claimants and older people will receive the additional money - a one-off boost of £300 on top of their Winter Fuel Payment. The additional payment was announced earlier this year by the then Chancellor Rishi Sunak who highlighted that pensioners were set to be disproportionately affected by soaring energy costs.
With a number of recent changes and updates, working out exactly what help you can get with the rising cost of living can be tricky. The DWP has issued full guidance on Winter Fuel payments and the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, which was hightlighted by Lincolnshire Live recently and is explained below.
We have also created a guide to what is currently available as part of the Government's support package, which can be found by following this link.
READ MORE: How to get support in Nottingham to tackle the rising cost of living
Here's what you need to know
What is the Winter Fuel Payment?
Available to anyone who gets the State Pension or another social security benefit apart from Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Child Benefit or Universal Credit, will automatically get the Winter Fuel Payment. Depending on your circumstances, you can get between £250 and £600 to help you pay your heating bills - to be eligible, you must have been born on or before September 25, 1956.
Who is eligible?
The Government states that you qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment if both the following apply:
- you were born on or before 25 September 1956
- you lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of 19 to 25 September 2022 - this is called the ‘qualifying week’
If you did not live in the UK during the qualifying week, you might still get the payment if both the following apply:
- you live in Switzerland or a European Economic Area (EEA) country
- 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
You will not qualify if you:
- are in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
- need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave states that you cannot claim public funds
- were in prison for the whole week from 19 to 25 September 2022
- lived in a care home for the whole time from 27 June to 25 September 2022, and got Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Winter Fuel Payment rates
If you’re entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022 to 2023, you will receive the extra £300 Cost of Living payment for your household with your normal payment from November 2022. The full amount of Winter Fuel Payment you will get for winter 2022 to 2023 depends on your circumstances - here is a full guide:
| Your circumstances | Born between 26 September 1942 and 25 September 1956 | Amount if born on or before 25 September 1942 |
|---|---|---|
| You qualify and live alone (or none of the people you live with qualify) | £500 | £600 |
| You qualify and live with someone under 80 who also qualifies | £250 | £350 |
| You qualify and live with someone 80 or over who also qualifies | £250 | £300 |
| You qualify and live with a partner who qualifies, and either of you gets certain benefits | £500 - only one of you will get the payment | £600 - only one of you will get the payment |
| You qualify and live with someone (not your partner) who qualifies, and either of you gets certain benefits | £500 - you’ll both get the payment | £600 - you’ll both get the payment |
| You qualify, live in a care home and do not get certain benefits | £250 | £300 |
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