DWP to issue £150 payout to pensioners who missed out on Winter Fuel Payments

Each council in England has been allocated a portion of the funding to provide direct support to residents in need.

The latest batch of HSF funding aims to help households cope with essential costs, including food, energy and housing expenses.

Councils across the country will use their allocated portions to offer targeted financial assistance to vulnerable residents facing financial hardship.

The payments will be distributed throughout the autumn and winter of 2025, with different councils implementing varying schemes based on local needs and circumstances.

Leeds City Council will provide £150 payments to pensioners who receive Council Tax Support but did not qualify for the 2025-26 Winter Fuel Payment.

Families with dependent children who receive Council Tax Support will be eligible for £125 payments.

Other households without children could receive £50 if they meet the eligibility criteria. The payments are targeted at households already receiving Council Tax Support, indicating they are among those most in need of financial assistance.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Thousands of households can apply for cost of living cash up to £500 - check your eligibility
• Households could be eligible for £100 DWP cost of living payment but families 'only entitled to one'
• DWP issues update on cost of living payments 2025 - check if you can claim an extra £300 free cash

Recipients will not need to apply for these payments as the council will contact eligible households directly.

The Leeds payments form part of the city's allocation from the national £742million fund and will be distributed during the autumn and winter months of 2025.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council has received £3.63million in HSF funding for 2025-26 and is offering one-off payments of £425 to residents struggling with essential costs.

To qualify, applicants must live in the East Riding area, be responsible for paying council tax and/or rent, and be experiencing financial difficulty with savings under £1,000.

The scheme covers help with food, energy and other essentials for those in financial hardship.

Payments such as Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance are not counted as income when assessing eligibility.

Former care leavers living in the East Riding may also be eligible for support under the council's allocation of the national funding programme.

York operates a discretionary scheme for residents struggling with living costs who require assistance with essential expenses. To be eligible, applicants must be York residents in urgent financial need with low income or savings.

Applications undergo a standard means test to evaluate the applicant's current financial situation and determine the level of support required to cover essential bills.

The discretionary nature of York's scheme allows for individual assessment of circumstances, enabling the council to provide tailored support based on specific needs and urgent financial requirements of residents within their HSF allocation.