Millions of individuals over the State Pension age had been hoping for a reversal on the UK Government’s decision to alter the eligibility criteria for Winter Fuel Payments during the Autumn Budget.
Despite vigorous campaigning by charities, unions, organisations and Martin Lewis, 10 million pensioners will not receive up to £300 this winter to assist with increased heating costs, leaving concerns that many of the poorest in the country will not be able to heat their homes.
However, there are several one-off payments due before the New Year for households of all shapes and sizes – individuals, families, pensioners and disabled people which will help a bit with the costs of this time of year.
Some of the payments listed below are only available in some areas and a few are means-tested, so if you are in or out of work and struggling financially, contact your local council and explain your situation – find out more here.
Help for households this winter There are six, separate one-off payments being issued to families, disabled people or those over State Pension age before the end of this year. Most of these lump sums are designed to help with higher heating bills, but there’s also a ‘bonus’ for millions of benefit claimants and an extra payment for unpaid carers.
Winter Fuel Payment, £100-£300. The one-off payment ranges from £100 to £300, with the amount depending on age and household circumstances. It’s crucial to note that only those born before September 23, 1944, will receive the £300.
Care home residents receive £100, while those aged between 66 and 79 receive £200. In addition to being over 66, recipients must also have been receiving a means-tested benefit, such as Pension Credit.
Those over State Pension age who were receiving an income-related benefit during the qualifying week of September 16-22, 2024, will automatically receive the payment – which is tax-free and won’t affect other benefits. However, the DWP has confirmed that successful new claims made before December 21 will qualify for a backdated Winter Fuel Payment.
Full details on payments can be found here.
The Warm Home Discount – £150 paid directly to energy supplier is due. This payment is administered by the DWP and is paid directly to energy suppliers and added as credit to a customer’s account.
It is not a cash payment. If you’re a credit customer the £150 will be added to your electricity account and if you’re on Pay As You Go or Prepayment, you’ll be sent a voucher that you can use to top-up your meter.
The Warm Home Discount Scheme is designed to help people on a low income and on certain income-related benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit.
This year’s scheme is already open. To find out if your energy supplier is accepting new claims, visit their website.
Full details about the scheme and eligibility can be found here.
Christmas Bonus – £10 Payments due: Typically paid automatically in early December.
The bonus is a one-off, tax-free £10 payment made to people in receipt of State Pension or those claiming certain other benefits during the qualifying week – usually the first full week of December. Nobody needs to apply for the extra £10 as it should automatically go into the account where you usually receive your State Pension or benefit payment.
It is made as a separate payment, independent of your scheduled State Pension or benefit payment, so it may arrive on a different day. Eligible benefits: Find out more about the Christmas Bonus here.
Cold Weather Payments
DWP’s Cold Weather Payments are an automatic bank top-up of £25, triggered to be paid to eligible households when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to an eligible person’s postcode.
The £25 payments will be paid automatically to households receiving certain benefits including, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit and Support for Mortgage Interest.
The money will appear in bank statements within 14 days of each seven-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2024 and 31 March 2025, with the payment reference starting with the customer’s national Insurance number followed by ‘DWP CWP’ for people in England and Wales.
The £150 Warm Home Discount scheme has also been extended as we continue to stand behind households in, or at risk of, fuel poverty with direct energy bill payments as well as other financial and energy-related support.
Household Support Fund
Struggling households can receive further help with their bills and essential costs through the extension of the Household Support Fund – adding to the six months already announced, an additional £1 billion will be invested to extend this support by a full year, and to maintain Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales.
Anyone struggling to heat their homes or afford other essential items over the colder months should contact their local council to see what support may be available to them.
Many councils also use the Fund beyond emergency support, including working with local charities and community groups to provide residents with key appliances, school uniforms, cookery classes, and items to improve energy efficiency in the home.
Eligible pensioners can also receive up to £300 for the Winter Fuel Payment which is set to land in bank accounts in the next two months. This is accessed through entitlement to Pension Credit.
Pension Credit could be worth up to £3,900 a year on average and open the doors to other benefits including help with housing costs, council tax reduction as well as a Winter Fuel Payment, and all eligible Pension Credit claims can be backdated.
