State pensioners can get £300 Winter Fuel Payment reinstated with one call

State Pensioners are being encouraged to 'make one phone call' starting today to have their £300 Winter Fuel Payment reinstated. Under the previous government, this was a universal payment for those of State Pension age, but new Labour rules have transformed it into a means-tested benefit.

This shift means that millions of pensioners who previously qualified will not be eligible this year unless they claim pension credit or other means-tested benefits. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) estimates that 1.5 million pensioners will receive the £300 payment for winter 2024/25 - a significantly lower figure than the 10.8 million pensioners who qualified last year, reports the Express.

If you're eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment this year, you'll receive a letter in October or November detailing how much you will get. The amount is determined by your birth date and circumstances during the qualifying week of September 16 to 22, 2024.

However, pensioners can make a phone call from today (October 28) to verify their eligibility due to the opening of the Winter Fuel Payment hotline, which could grant them up to £300 this winter. The DWP states that if you were born before September 23, 1958, live in England or Wales, and claim one of the following: Pension Credit, Universal Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), Income Support, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, you'll qualify for either £200 or £300 to help cover your heating bills.

To be eligible, you must have been receiving one of the specified benefits during the qualifying week of 16th to 22nd September 2024. You can verify your eligibility by contacting the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160. The majority of payments will be automatically processed in November or December, and you'll receive a letter from the DWP detailing the amount you'll receive and the bank account it will be deposited into. This is typically the same account as your Pension Credit or other benefits.

If you don't receive a letter or the money hasn't been credited to your account by 29th January 2025, you should get in touch with the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.