DWP says people will wake up to free £300 in November that's 'automatic'

In July, the Government announced that from this winter, it will be restricted to those on Pension Credit or certain other benefits.

The Department for Work and Pensions says people will wake up to a free £300 payment in November or December. The Winter Fuel Payment used to provide all pension-age households with up to £300 to help pay energy bills each winter.

Most payments are made automatically in November or December. But again, it can take longer than this - and you should wait until January 29, 2025, before contacting the DWP about a missing payment. The Winter Fuel Payment is a tax-free Government grant given every year to eligible pensioner households to help pay for heating costs over the winter months. It's available to over a million households in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The scheme had previously given up to £300 each winter to ALL households with someone at state pension age. However, in July, the Government announced that from this winter, it will be restricted to those on Pension Credit or certain other benefits.

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If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, you'll only be able to get a Winter Fuel Payment if you're over state pension age AND receive one of the following benefits: Pension Credit, Universal Credit. Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support, Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit.

Although the qualifying week for this year's Winter Fuel Payment has now passed (16 and 22 September 2024), you may still be eligible for the payment if you successfully apply for Pension Credit by 21 December 2024. That's because claims for Pension Credit can be backdated by up to three months (provided you would have been entitled to the benefit at the earlier date).

If eligible, you'll get up to £300, depending on your circumstances. Things north of the border are a little bit different because the Scottish Government had previously announced plans to replace Winter Fuel Payment from winter 2024/25 with its own scheme called the 'Pension Age Winter Heating Payment'.