Pensioners to get up to £300 to help pay for heating bills this year – payment due from next month
Pensioner households can get up to £300 via the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment
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Pensioner households could get up to £300 extra from November 2023 via the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment.
People who were born before September 25, 1957 could get the additional support, provided they meet the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment.
While the Winter Fuel Payment is separate to the government’s one-off cost of living payments, the benefit currently includes the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, which is worth between £150 and £300.
The full amount of Winter Fuel Payment a person gets depends on when they were born and their circumstances during the Department for Work and Pensions’ qualifying dates, and the amount people could get this year is currently between £250 and £600.
Pensioners can get the Winter Fuel Payment to help them with heating bills during the winter
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The qualifying week for this winter was between September 18 and September 24, 2023.
Most people get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if they are eligible.
Those who do qualify will get a letter in October or November stating how much they’d get.
Most eligible people will be paid in November and December.
If a person who thinks they’re eligible doesn’t get a letter, they can check online if they need to make a claim.
If a letter hasn’t been received or the money hasn’t been paid by January 26, 2024, pensioners are directed to contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
The Winter Fuel Payment, including the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, is tax-free and won’t affect a person’s other benefits.
People don't need to claim if they get any of the following benefits, as instead, they will be paid automatically:
- State pension
- Pension Credit
- Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Carers Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Income Support
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Awards from the War Pensions Scheme
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Incapacity Benefit
- Industrial Death Benefit
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If a person thinks they’re eligible but doesn’t get any of these benefits, they would need to claim if they haven’t got the Winter Fuel Payment before, or they have deferred the state pension since their last Winter Fuel Payment.
Those who live abroad might need to claim even if they get one of these benefits.
There are two ways to claim for people who live in the UK. This is by post from September 18 or by phone from October 4.
The way to claim is different for people living abroad.
The deadline to claim for winter 2023 to 2024 is March 31, 2024.