The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has outlined four reasons why some state pensioners might not be eligible for the £300 Winter Fuel Payment this year.
Four Key Reasons Why Some State Pensioners Won’t Receive the £300 Winter Fuel Payment This Year
By Chourouk Derkaoui
Published on 26 September 2024 16:46
State pensioners may not be eligible for £300 Winter Fuel Payment this year even if they receive benefits. This year, only Pension Credit claimants will receive the £300 Winter Fuel Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Winter Fuel Payment: Eligibility Criteria and Recent Restrictions
Annually, qualifying pensioner households get a tax-free government grant known as the Winter Fuel Payment, which helps with winter heating expenses. In England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, it is accessible to more than a million households.
To qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment, people must have had an active claim for pension credit during the qualifying week of September 16 to 22 in order to be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment.
The government announced that starting with this winter, there will be restrictions for those on Pension Credit or certain other benefits in July, even though the program provided up to £300 to all homes with a member of state pension age each winter.
People will not qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment if any of the following circumstances describe them:
Reside in Scotland
Individuals can apply for the Winter Heating Payment (WHP) if they live north of the border. This payment, which is paid from December 2024, and is valued at £58.75.
If they do not reside in the UK, they may only be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment if they were born before September 23, 1958, and are receiving a UK benefit such as the State Pension. Additionally, they must have moved to a qualifying country before December 31, 2020.
People must also have a real and sufficient and genuine connection to the UK, which could include having family there or having lived or worked in the country.
Live in a Care Home
Individuals won't qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment if they were living in a care home between June 24 and September 22, 2024.
However, they may qualify for the payment if their stay in the care home was less than 13 weeks, including the 'qualifying week' of September 16-22, 2024.
Live in Hospital
Individuals who have been in a hospital receiving free treatment for over a year won't qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment. Since 1997, this benefit was introduced in order to assist pensioners with their heating bills.
It is an annual tax-free benefit of around £100 and £300 meant to assist with the cost of heating their residences throughout the winter.
In addition to the regular Winter Fuel Payment, another benefit “Pensioner Cost of Living Payment” of either £150 or £300 was given from winter 2022 to 2023.
Recently Been in Prison
The Winter Fuel Payments won't be given to people who were in prison for the whole qualifying week, which is September 16-22, 2024. The funds aren't transmitted automatically. In order to get the payment, they will have to submit a new application, even if they were able to claim it previously. UK nationals and dual nationals residing in a country that is not Ireland are advised to download and fill in form IPCF091.