The most vulnerable pensioners in the UK, particularly those facing economic hardship, can expect a surprise financial boost this December, with bonus payments of up to £460. This welcome relief is timely for those struggling with the rising cost of living. The aid forms part of measures introduced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak‘s government aimed at supporting the most disadvantaged pensioners across the country.
Essential support for the most needy
These payments, available to pensioners meeting specific criteria, are designed to help the most financially strained older adults. They are intended to complement existing benefits, easing the financial burden during the festive season. The initiative is part of a broader government package aimed at supporting vulnerable citizens, announced as part of economic crisis support measures.
- Eligibility: Pensioners receiving benefits such as Income Support or Pension Credit are eligible for these payments.
- Total aid amount: Up to £460 per individual, distributed in three separate payments.
- Purpose: To assist with extra daily expenses during the winter, including heating bills.
Payments to watch out for
Authorities strongly encourage pensioners to check their bank accounts regularly, as these bonuses may be paid at different times depending on individual eligibility. A quick look could reveal this additional support. According to a statement from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), “payments will be sent directly to the bank accounts of eligible recipients, though the dates may vary.”
Pensioners must remain particularly vigilant regarding the payment dates to ensure they receive the help before the end of the year.
Help to navigate the festive period
These bonuses are not just a financial gift: they enable many families to better manage the higher costs associated with the festive season, which are often more expensive. Through this programme, the government is providing much-needed respite to pensioners most affected by inflation, particularly those living in areas where the cost of living is especially high.
The programme is especially beneficial to pensioners in the North of England, the West Midlands, and rural areas that are facing higher levels of inflation, according to an analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. These regions experience higher poverty rates, making this financial support even more critical for their residents.
Got a reaction? Share your thoughts in the comments
Enjoyed this article? Subscribe to our free Newsletter for captivating articles, exclusive content, and the latest news.
Funny how the important words “CERTAIN PENSIONERS” was not used in the headline! Yet another propaganda item that the government are ramming down our throats, when in fact nothing changes!
Why keep saying pensioners when in reality it’s people on benefits not all pensioners get this.
£300 deducted from my pension.its so hard no help.
Yes keep on handing out money to so called vulnerable pensioners who are already get pension credit and winter fuel payments whilst those just above the threshold for being so stupid and putting hard earned wages into a private pension for little reward get nothing and are left struggling. One extremely fed up pensioners.
I’ve just started getting my state pension, I was on Universal Credit which has stopped now. My support worker has sent details to check if I’m eligible for pension credits but they have said there is a backlog of around 4 to 5 months and I’m still waiting since she sent my information in September. Will that affect me getting the winter payments?.
1100 am my house 14degrees wife just died cancer eye removed £4 a day bandages + live Newcastle travelled to Sheffield £70 in hotel lots more UK what a dreadful country ashamed hopefully me not long left
Why aren’t people on attendance allowance getting any extra help
That’s nice for pensioners who have the extra income of pension credit but not myself as I look after my partner who has mental health illness and is below pension age I can’t even pay my gas and electricity bills and short on food for over Xmas as my partners universal credit won’t be paid to her until the 19th January
Absolutely outrageous this government does no care enough for pensioners
Same old same old have to be on pension credit if you’re just over the threshold no benefit whatsoever wish they would stop putting this on goggle and chrome when it doesn’t apply to thousands of pensioners
When will it be due
I am fed up with hearing all pensioners only those on benefits who did not pay into any private pension are better off so these people get their pension plus pension credit and if renting don’t pay rent or council tax. I get a private pension 490 a month not entitled to pension credit have to pay 470 rent a month plus council tax 93 that takes my private pension and some if my state pension so guess who is worse off ??
I wish you would stop this form of advertising something that not all pensioners will get ,,the government has screwed this up for vulnerable people ,,I get old state pen and a small pip also £60 a month private pens and i don’t get pension credits at 71 you tell me how that is right,,I did get a winter payment and then this mad chancelor stopped it ,,pick on the rich not the old ,,you don’t ever have to worry you get you future on a plate ..
Just like me worked until I was 78 to earn a little extra then get it all taken away
Thank.you for the £10 gift. It means I can have my heating on for 1 hour.. I think this.black hole is being filled with.pensioners
I have just received my bonus from work and pensions it was £10. I may by a bag of kindling as a treat for Christmas . I applied for pension credits at the end of last August. I have yet to hear anything from works and pension about my claim
Once again those on Pension Credit get this,while people like myself being just above the threshold for pension credit find ourselves receiving £2,500 plus,less because we’re just over the threshold for pension credit makes me wonder if it was worth working for 55years finding myself Worse off than those who didn’t!!!!
It is not fair for state pension to have to loes out at all kier starmer is full of empty promises
Should be for all pensioners whatever they do and don’t receive. Ok for the overpaid to dictate who gets what when they sit on the bonuses absolutely discreet this new government out with Labour they all make promises and we fall for it then this is the payback if it wasn’t for the pensioners who have gone through so much through all the years goes to the greedy not the needy
People on pension credit are not only the poorest .what about those just over the limit ,those are the people who need the extra allowance,and those with disabilities who need to keep warm .we have been abandoned after working all our lives ,paying our taxes and earning small pensions .meanwhile cost of living is skyhigh.as are heating bills .yet company’s supplying us rake in massive profits for there shareholders..why are they not getting taxed .but I tell you Starmer be aware of the Gray vote we are the idiots that vote labour.and our children will not forget that the have punished the most vulnerable in our society.
Since I applied for Pension Credit at least 3 months ago and haven’t heard anything, it appears that any of these statements are not applicable. As it would appear that I am eligible why don’t I get these benefits?
My father grandfather and myself all ex dock workers always voted Labour not any more
My grandfather my father myself all ex dock workers always vote Labour not any more
Once again nothing for pensioners who cannot claim pension credit. I have had my winter fuel payment taken from me, I have terminal cancer and am feeling the cold more than ever this year. What help do I get? NOTHING
I am on state pension, but I get just over the limit I get NOTHING extra,and I DO NOT HAVE A PRIVATE PENSION,THINK BEFORE YOU PRINT SOME COMMENTS PEOPLE
I don’t know why news items like this flourish especially around Christmas. Some are pure fabrications , which is cruel and some are disguised WFP. I have learnt to take such news with a pinch of salt. This particular item appears fake. ‘Anything to sell papers’ we used to say.
Why is this misleading government propaganda allowed to be printed,I am on basic pension but a few pounds over thePC limit and my wife is under pension age by 4 months therefore not eligible for PC, lost WFA and all other benefits associated with it, worked 50 plus years, would have been better of sitting on my Ass and live on benefits,.
So after 50 years hard work I’m getting nothing but those who have sat on there backsides for years are getting all the help they need . Not fair at all
Why are pensioners who are just over the limit to claim Pension Credit penalised. They are people on pension credit who get around £1500 per month, when pensioners who are around £2 per week over the limit have to live on around £920 per month, and get NO help?
I am a wasabi who missed out on retirement at 60 so had to live on life savings due to being made redundant. I now have terminal cancer an have 6 months or less to live.! My winter fuel payment stopped ! I need the heating on. Again like most I’m just over the threshold for pension credit. Worked all my life.
I am on state pension. Joint universal credit No Mention of state pensions getting any Help. My winter fuel payments has also been taken away. Not entitled to pension credit. Need heating on as wife is disabled. All because we are £ 1- 50p , over the threshold.
I thought people who had a terminal illness could get the winter fuel payment.
I am literally just over the limit for pension credit talking a few quid my wife is disabled but we don’t come under CERTAIN pensioners, I have no faith in any government anymore when millionaires are running the country old hard working people like me who have worked hard in our time just don’t count anymore millionaires rely on people like us to earn their money for them
I have worked since I was 15 until I was 77 I’m not entitled to pension credit just the state pension I dont have savings and have received only one extra fuel payment last year. And I have not had any e xtra payment for the cost of living because I am just £3 per week over the threshold
I agree with a lady..saying why are the pensioner’s that are a couple quid over they can’t get pension credit..we are not that better of..there are plenty like us..my hubby has worked since he was 15..me 15 till I was 23 unfortunately had to have two disc removed so been disabled since..but brought 4 boys up..so that was my job..but unfortunately can’t claim pension credit wish some one could tell us why.
When u work all your life you are not entitled to anything, its so wrong as still not a well of pensioner, this has to be changed as folk missing out for been a couple of pound over.
What a scam I’m a pensioner worked 47 years so will miss heating allowance but been told mps are getting up to 3.000 for heating there home and second homes Labour. Conservative. What a waste of space .
OH they can afford to pay the Ukrainian billions of pound. But they can’t afford to pay the old age pensioners just Wasting our money on that junkie little man
Same old story if you worked all your life to get a pension to live on, it is whipped from under your feet by higher heating, food bills and cost of living. This winter will be a hard time for most old, infirm, and families of children. This government will be responsible for it all. The pieces will never be picked up,
Please stop raising my hopes by saying ” all pensioners” I am a full contribution paid pensioner so get full state pension so over pension credit by £2 per week .The wages I earned during my life didn’t allow me to afford to save so I have no savings I have no private pension or any other income so after working from age 17 to 66 I find myself a long way poorer than someone on pension credit .The threshold needs to properly assessed . This government should be made aware of how much of a struggle people just above the current threshold have to deal with.
What about the ones who have cancer and are finding it hard financially with bills and food shopping and who cannot afford to buy Christmas presents and who live on there own as all prices keep rising
It’s a joke I lost out on 6mths pension I asked why sent emails phoned them nothing back this was 4yr ago also people next to me who don’t work get everything. It’s a disgrace my husband still working and he’s 72yr old government should be ashamed
I applied for pension credit I was refused yet I get help with rent and council tax
I have just been diagnosed with chronic atomic asthma my husband has copd yet we can’t claim pension credit as we are a few pence over we have both worked hard all our live and we get a kick in the teeth we live in a very old house that takes alot of heating I just hope Rachel reeves and old steamer don’t suffer like they are treating us watched a video of steamer last winter telling the world how upset he was to listen to an elderly lady who said she could not afford to have heating onall the Time kettle black steamer still have that video on my phone you all should be ashamed of yourself never had hardship in your life’s KEEP WARM WONT YOU
I mean Stamer
Why not look at what amount of government pension we get and any other private pension before they keep giving to pensioners who already claim all the other benefits
I don’t get pension credit, I don’t have a private pension, I only get my state pension and yet I’m not entitled to any extra payments. I get fed up about hearing about the most vulnerable in the country getting this help, it seems so unfair, if I got three pounds less than I do I would get all these benefits as well but because I’m on the full state pension I get nothing. I can’t afford to be warm and I can only afford basic food, whereas people on pension credit yet everything thrown at them. Where is the justice in that. Why can’t our government have some common Sense and put everybody on the highest state pension, and make it a livable state pension and stop all these extra payments, I’m sure in the long run people would be a cheaper system to run.
The same pensioners that are struggling after missing out on the winter fuel payment will also miss out on this. Not all pensioners are wealthy. Some are only just over the threshold to get pension credits etc. What an awful government we now have.
My late husband also said, better to have nothing and get everything,
Why the ones on benefits, there the better of ones what about the ones only getting a pension
It’s adisgrace and a utter farce when your not on pension credit ,I know someone who gets the old pension and has free glasses and everything else .I can’t get anything I was told by the DWP to look on line for eco d hand glasses when I needknew ones it’s diabolical
The Government and civil servants who control them are so out of touch. As many others have remarked already, the idle, layabouts who don’t get the full, measly, state pension and qualify for pension credit and the great host of other benefits tied to it are now much better off than the hard workers and savers, who are just above the qualifying criteria, in fact, that’s the vast majority of pensioners who, for some reason, the Government has chosen to ignore. There’s just no logic that those who’ve worked and saved are being treated so badly. The truth is, this Government just doesn’t care. Pensioners are a costly inconvenience and the Government would prefer as many pensioners as possible to be dead and buried. That is the plain and simple truth of the matter.
I am £1 a week off from receiving pension credit which means I don’t get any help with anything so people who receive pension credit are actually better of than me yet they get the extra help that I don’t. So tell me how does that make any sense