HOUSEHOLDS have less than a week until they have to take action over missing £600 payments to help with the cost of heating.
The vast majority of those eligible for a tax-free winter fuel payment should have already received it.
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The payment is worth between £250 and £600 and made to those on a state pension and other benefits.
It shows up as your National Insurance number then “DWP WFP” on your bank statement, if you live in Great Britain.
Residents in Northern Ireland should see the payment as their NI number plus “DFC WFP”.
Most people are issued the cash automatically, and paid between November and December.
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But the last possible day all automatic payments should have made by is January 26.
That means if you haven’t received yours by then, you need to act.
You can do this by contacting the Winter Fuel Payment Centre, which is responsible for issuing the money.
If you live in the UK, the phone number to call is 0800 731 0160 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
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If you live outside the UK the number to call is +44 (0)191 218 7777.
Meanwhile, you can get in touch via post, which should be directed to: Winter Fuel Payment Centre, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 1LR.
Before getting in touch you should have the following details ready to hand:
- your name
- your address
- your date of birth
- your National Insurance number
Who is eligible for the winter fuel payment?
In most cases, you will get a winter fuel payment if you were born before September 25, 1957.
You also usually need to live in the UK, but you might also qualify if you moved to a specific country before January 1, 2021, and have a link to the UK.
This includes having lived or worked in the UK or having family in the UK. The list of eligible countries is:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- Germany
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
In some circumstances, you won’t be eligible for the winter fuel payment, even if you were born before September 25, 1957.
You won’t qualify if:
- you have been in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
- you need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says that you cannot claim public funds
- you were in prison for the whole of the week of 18 to 24 September 2023
Those living in a care home will also not be eligible for a winter fuel payment, if both of the following apply:
- you get pension credit, income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) or income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
- you lived in a care home for the whole time from June 26 to September 24, 2023
Do I need to apply for the payment?
In the vast majority of cases you don’t have to claim the winter fuel payment, say for example if you receive any of the following benefits:
- 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
If you are not on one of the above, you will need to claim if either of the following applies:
- you’ve not received the winter fuel payment before
- you’ve deferred your state pension since your last winter fuel payment
Anyone who needs to apply for the winter fuel payment has until March 31 to do so.
How much will I get?
The amount you will get depends on your circumstances. These are the amounts you should receive:
- You qualify and live alone – £500 to £600
- You qualify alongside someone you live with who is under 80 and also qualifies – £250 to £350
- You qualify and live with someone over 80 who also qualifies – £250 to £300
- If either you or your partner also receives benefits – £500 to £600 (this amount is the same if someone you live with who isn’t your partner receives certain benefits)
- If you qualify but live in a care home and don’t get benefits – £250 to £300
How else to save on energy bills
If you don’t qualify for the winter fuel payment, you might be able to get help via other means.
The Household Support Fund is one option. It is worth £842million and has been shared between councils in England.
They then decide how to distribute their portion.
But what you are entitled to varies on where you live as each local authority sets its own eligibility critera.
In the vast majority of cases, you will qualify if you are on benefits or a low income, or struggling financially.
You should approach your council to see if any help is on offer. You can find what council area you fall under by using the Government’s council locator tool online.
You might also be able to claim a free grant from your energy firm if you’re struggling to make payments.
British Gas, Octopus Energy and EDF are some of the major companies that offer help.
Eligibility requirements vary depending on the firm, but you’ll usually have to provide evidence you’re in energy debt or facing fuel poverty.
The Government classes fuel poverty as when a household has to spend a “high proportion” of its income to keep the temperature at a reasonable level.
It’s worth checking if you qualify for benefits too, after the latest figures from analytics company Policy in Practice revealed £19billion worth of support goes unclaimed each year.
There are a number of free online calculators you can use to find out what you might be eligible for:
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