The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently announced that 11.6 million Winter Fuel Payments and Pensioner Cost of Living Payments - support worth a total of £4.6 billion - have been made to older people across Great Britain, including 973,604 living in Scotland.
The majority of these payments, worth up to £600 per household, have already landed in bank accounts automatically, however, British expats living in 25 European Economic Area (EEA) countries or Switzerland may also be entitled to claim the support, which is open until March 31, 2023. The Winter Fuel Payment is payable to people over State Pension age (66) who meet the qualifying conditions.
Unfortunately, older people living in warmer countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea will not be eligible for the annual payment. You won’t receive the payment if you live in France, Spain, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta or Portugal as the average winter temperature is higher than that recorded in the warmest part of the UK.
