The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have recently updated their online guidance for pensioners to find out if they are eligible for the cost of living payment, worth up to £300.
This one-off payment will be added to pensioners Winter Fuel Payment that is delivered annually, reports the Daily Record. To be eligible for the extra money, pensioners need to have met certain conditions in September.
To get this year's Winter Fuel Payment, people must have:
been born on or before September 25, 1956
lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of 19 to 25 September 2022 - this is called the ‘qualifying week’
READ MORE - Matt Hancock tops the most popular bets for winning I'm a Celebrity 2022
Those who haven't made either of these criteria, or who live abroad, 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.
The DWP have stated that most payments are made automatically in November or December, but should be paid at the latest by January 13, 2023. It also recently advised not to chase missing payments until the January 13, 2022 deadline has passed, as they will not be able to deal with queries before then.
The DWP have also said that payment amounts have now been clarified for the following scenarios:
someone lives on their own
lives with a partner over or under 80
whether either of them receive other benefits
These benefits include Pension Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Income Support.
The Winter Fuel Payment, including the extra Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, is not taxable and does not affect eligibility for other benefits. However, the full amount you will get for winter 2022 to 2023 depends on your circumstances.
Who does not qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment
You will not get the Winter Fuel Payment this year 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)
How much you could be paid overall
The Winter Fuel Payment, including the extra £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, is not taxable and does not affect eligibility for other benefits. However, the full amount you will get for winter 2022 to 2023 depends on your circumstances.
The DWP have updated this year's payment details to include the cost of living payment, and have clarified who is eligible, and how much they will get dependent on their circumstances. Read on below to find out more.
Winter Fuel Payment rates 2022/23
You can check out how much you will be entitled to on the GOV.UK website.
You qualify and live alone (or none of the people you live with qualify)
- Born between September 25, 1942 and September 25, 1956: £500
- Born on or before September 25, 1942: £600
You qualify and live with someone under 80 who also qualifies
- Born between September 25, 1942 and September 25, 1956: £250
- Born on or before September 25, 1942: £350
You qualify and live with someone 80 or over who also qualifies
- Born between September 25, 1942 and September 25, 1956: £250
- Born on or before September 25, 1942: £300
You qualify, live in a care home and do not get certain benefits
Benefits - Pension Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Income Support
- Born between September 25, 1942 and September 25, 1956: £250
- Born on or before September 25, 1942: £300
Winter Fuel Payments if you get certain benefits
Your payment may be different if you or your partner gets one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
You qualify, get one of the benefits and live alone (or none of the people you live with qualify)
- Born between September 25, 1942 and September 25, 1956: £500
- Born on or before September 25, 1942: £600
You qualify, live with a partner who qualifies, and either one of you gets one of the benefits
- Born between September 25, 1942 and September 25, 1956: £500 - only one of you will get the payment
- Born on or before September 25, 1942: £600 - only one of you will get the payment
You qualify and live with someone (not a partner) who qualifies, and either of you gets one of the benefits
- Born between September 25, 1942 and September 25, 1956: £500 - you will both get the payment
- Born on or before September 25, 1942: £600 - you will both get the payment
You qualify, live in a care home and get one of the benefits
- Born between September 25, 1942 and September 25, 1956: Nil
- Born on or before September 25, 1942: Nil
How to claim
You usually do not need to claim Winter Fuel Payment as it is paid automatically to eligible claimants.
If you have not had a Winter Fuel Payment before, you only need to claim if any of the following apply:
- you do not get benefits or a State Pension
- you get an Adult Disability Payment from the Scottish Government
- you only get Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Child Benefit or Universal Credit
- you get benefits or a State Pension but live in Switzerland or an EEA country
If you have received a Winter Fuel Payment before, you only need to claim if since your last payment you have either:
- deferred your State Pension
- moved to Switzerland or an EEA country
If you need to claim, you can claim Winter Fuel Payment by phone or by post. Call the Winter Fuel Payment Centre to claim by phone on 0800 731 0160 - lines are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm.
Or for claiming via post, you need to fill in a Winter Fuel Payment claim form for UK residents - this can be found on GOV.UK here.
READ NEXT:
All the I'm a Celebrity stars that have sadly passed away since filming ended
Aldi shoppers 'angry' after popular air fryer sells out causing site to crash
Pizza Hut, Nando's, McDonald's and more giving NHS and care worker discounts this winter
Tesco and Wilko shoppers rush to buy 25p kitchen item that can slash energy bills
Leaked Strictly spoiler for week 7 leaves fans 'gutted' as bottom two called a 'mess'
