Pensioners born before September 25, 1957 could get up to £600 to help pay for their heating bills this winter, known as the Winter Fuel Payment.
The amount qualifying people can get will be between £250 and £600.
This includes a Pensioner Cost of Living Payment of between £150 and £300.
This Cost of Living Payment is paid to pensioners in addition to any other Cost of Living Payments a person may be eligible for, such as if they’re on a low income.
The Winter Fuel Payment is tax-free
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Most people will get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if eligible, with most being paid in November or December.
Qualifying people will get a letter in October or November stating how much the amount will be.
The amount a person gets is based on when they were born and circumstances during the qualifying week – which is just a matter of days away, between September 18 to 24, 2023.
The Winter Fuel Payment is tax-free and won't affect other benefits.
Who is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment?
People must have been born before September 25, 1957, and they will usually need to live in the UK. That said, in some circumstances, it may be a person who lives abroad is eligible.
A person won’t be eligible if they have been in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year.
Additionally, those who need permission to enter the UK and their granted leave says they can’t claim public funds aren’t eligible.
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People must have been born before September 25, 1957, and they will usually need to live in the UK to qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment
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People who were in prison for the whole of the qualifying week also won’t be eligible.
People who live in a care home can get the Winter Fuel Payment, but not if both of the following apply:
- They get Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- They lived in a care home for the whole time from June 26 to September 24, 2023.