State pensioners set for £485 one-off payments from DWP before Christmas

State pensioners who are struggling amid the Cost of Living crisis may be eligible for payments worth up to £460 this winter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to help with energy bills.

State pensioners are set to get £460 in one-off payments by the end of the year. State pensioners who are struggling amid the Cost of Living crisis may be eligible for payments worth up to £460 this winter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to help with energy bills.

Among the payments is the Winter Fuel Payment. This should be paid automatically to people who received the State Pension and an income related benefit during the qualifying week, September 16-22, the DWP has said previously.

Tax-free, the payment won't affect other benefits. Every pensioner household should receive a letter this month telling them if they will receive the money and how much. The amount received depends on the age of the recipients and their circumstances. The full £300 will only be paid to people born before September 23, 1944.

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Winter Fuel Payment - £300

You can get a Winter Fuel Payment this year if you were born before September 23, 1958. You should also live in Scotland, England or Wales and be in receipt of one of the following: Pension Credit; Universal Credit (for mixed age couples); Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA); Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA); Income Support and Tax Credits (with an annual award of at least £26).

If you live alone, you should get either £200 if you were born between September 23, 1944, and September 22, 1958, or £300 if you were born before September 23, 1944.

If you and your partner jointly claim any of qualifying the benefits, one of you will get a payment of either £200 if both of you were born between September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958, or £300 if one or both of you were born before September 23, 1944.

Warm Home Discount- £150

The Warm Home Discount is a one-off payment of £150 to help with the cost of energy during the winter. It's designed to make things a bit easier if you're living on a low income or pension. If your electricity supplier is part of the Warm Home Discount scheme then you don't need to apply for it – you'll get the payment automatically if you or your partner receive the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit, or another qualifying benefit, and have high energy costs. Getting a Warm Home Discount doesn't affect your entitlement to a Winter Fuel Payment or the Cold Weather Payment.

If you're eligible for Warm Home Discount, you'll get £150 off your bills in winter. The money won't be paid to you directly – it'll be added as credit to your electricity account. This usually happens between October and March. You might be able to get the discount applied to your gas bill if you're a dual-fuel customer (you have a combined plan for gas and electricity with the same supplier). If you use a prepayment meter, you'll probably be given a top-up voucher. Some suppliers also offer indirect help to customers as part of the Warm Home Discount scheme. This might include advice on using less energy and help with reducing energy-related debts.

Christmas Bonus - £10

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) issues this payment to those receiving State Pension or certain other benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Attendance Allowance and Carer's Allowance - provided they meet the eligibility criteria during a specific qualifying period, typically the first full week in December. However, it hasn't been adjusted since its introduction over five decades ago and in today's money, it would be worth £165.36 - according to the composite price index published by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Despite the petition being created nearly a year ago on Change.org by Shona McMahon when the Conservatives were still in power, over 20,000 people have expressed their support for the proposal (at time of writing). Ms McMahon argues: "Christmas is THE most expensive time of year! Pensioners, the vulnerable and people like myself, disabled, could do with an extra boost at this time of year, especially as the energy assistance has been axed." She added: "It was shocking to learn that the '£10 Christmas Bonus' has been the same for OVER FIVE DECADES! ! ".

Cold Weather Payments - £25

The cold weather payment is a grant paid by the Government to older people and those on certain benefits in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, to help pay for heating costs when temperatures hit zero or below in your area. If you live in Scotland, there's a similar, separate scheme. If you're eligible, you'll get £25 each time the average temperature in your area is – or is forecast to be – 0°C or below for seven days in a row between 1 November and 31 March. If you're eligible, you should receive £25 in your bank account automatically within 14 working days. You can check if you're due the payment using the Government's postcode checker (if you're in Northern Ireland, you'll need to use this postcode checker).