A guide to the Winter Fuel Payment

Some pensioners can get a Winter Fuel Payment from the government to help towards the cost of their winter fuel bills, but rules for eligibility have recently changed. Plus, different rules apply depending on where you live in the UK.

See what’s changed and if you’re entitled to a payment.

Written by

Dan Tremain

Energy and business energy expert

Last Updated

30 SEPTEMBER 2024

5 min read

What is the Winter Fuel Payment?

The Winter Fuel Payment is a tax-free allowance paid by the government to help people of State Pension age on certain benefits pay for their fuel and heating bills during winter. Previously it had been paid to all pensioners, but from winter 2024/25 eligibility has been targeted to specific groups on benefits.

The government sets a date each year that defines eligibility for the payment. This date changes every year to include people reaching the State Pension age during the winter.

If you live in England or Wales: in most cases, if you receive a State Pension together with an eligible benefit that qualifies you for the Winter Fuel Payment, you should receive it automatically.

If you think you qualify but haven’t received the payment, you’ll need to make a claim. This would apply, for example, if you had decided to defer claiming your State Pension. Any claim for the winter must typically be made by the end of March. See how to make a Winter Fuel Payment claim on the GOV.UK website.

The Winter Fuel Payment won’t affect any other winter allowances you receive, such as the Warm Home Discount. And it shouldn’t be confused with the Cold Weather Payment, which is paid to people on specific benefits when the weather is consistently cold over seven consecutive days.

See more about who is eligible for Cold Weather Payments.

If you live in Scotland: you can’t get a Winter Fuel Payment. But you might be eligible for the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment if you’re in receipt of qualifying benefits, such as Pension Credit. In 2024, this will be paid by the Department of Work and Pension’s (DWP) and you should get your payment automatically. See the Scottish Government website for the latest information.

If you live in Northern Ireland: historically, pensioners would get the Winter Fuel Payment. It’s not yet clear if the devolved authority will continue to pay it to all pensioners or not. See nidirect for the latest information.

How much is the Winter Fuel Payment?

The amount you get is based on when you were born and your circumstances between 16 and 22 September 2024. This is called the ‘qualifying week’.

If you live alone

You’ll get either:

£200 if you were born between 23 September 1944 and 22 September 1958
£300 if you were born before 23 September 1944.

If you live with someone

If you and your partner jointly claim any of the benefits, one of you will get a payment of either:

£200 if both of you were born between 23 September 1944 and 22 September 1958
£300 if one or both of you were born before 23 September 1944.

If you live in a care home

If you’re eligible, you’ll get either:

£200 if you were born between 23 September 1944 and 22 September 1958
£300 if you were born before 23 September 1944.

Am I eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment?

You can get a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2024/25 if you were born before 23 September 1958.

You must also live in England or Wales and get one of the following benefits:

Pension Credit
Universal Credit
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
Income Support.

The qualifying birth date updates annually to include each year’s new group of pensioners.

Am I eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment if I live abroad?

We don’t yet know. The government has said that eligibility rules for pensioners living abroad are changing for winter 2024. It says updated guidance will be published in September 2024. Check for the latest updates on the relevant government guide.

You’ll need to have lived and worked in the UK for most of your life or have family in the UK.

If you didn’t live in the UK during the qualifying week, you could still be eligible if you moved to an eligible country before 1 January 2021 and live in:

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

However, this may all change as the government updates eligibility rules.

Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal and Spain are excluded as average winter temperatures in these territories are higher than the warmest region of the UK.

Do all pensioners in England and Wales get the Winter Fuel Payment?

No. You must meet the eligibility requirements of receiving a particular benefit and you also won’t get the Winter Fuel Payment if during the qualifying week:

You were in prison for the whole of the week
You were in hospital getting free treatment for more than 52 weeks
You need permission to enter the UK and are not entitled to claim public funds
You were in a care home for the whole time from 24 June to 22 September 2024 and receive Pension Credit, Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance, or income-related Employment and Support Allowance.

Can a husband and wife get the Winter Fuel Payment?

Yes, potentially – as can civil partners and same-sex married couples. But this will depend on your situation in the qualifying week including:

Where in the UK you live
The age of each person
If both people are eligible
If you or they are receiving certain benefits
Whether benefits are claimed jointly or not
Whether you live in a care home.

Any money you get is tax-free and won’t affect any other benefits you receive. The payment will be on top of any Cost of Living Payment you get if you’re entitled to a qualifying low income benefit or tax credits, or a qualifying disability benefit.

How do I claim for Winter Fuel Payment?

You’ll usually get the payment automatically if you’re eligible. You don’t need to claim if you get any of the following:

Pension Credit
Income Support
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA).

If you don’t get any of these, you need to claim if either of the following apply:

You’ve not got the Winter Fuel Payment before
You or your partner get Universal Credit.

You might need to claim if you live abroad.

You can do this by phone or by downloading the claim form from the GOV.UK website.

The deadline to make a claim for winter 2024 to 2025 is 31 March 2025.

Claiming by phone

From 10 October 2024 the Winter Fuel Payment Centre is available Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, on 0800 731 0160. Relay, Textphone and British Sign Language options are available. For details and numbers see the GOV.UK website.

Make sure you have your National Insurance number and bank details to hand before you call. You’ll also need the date you were married or entered a civil partnership, if that’s relevant to your application.

Claiming by post

From 16 September 2024, you can make a claim by post. You can request a claims form by calling 0800 731 0160, or you can download it and print it out. Once you’ve filled out the form, you’ll need to send it to:

Winter Fuel Payment Centre
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1LR

See if you can claim other pension benefits too

If you’re a pensioner on a low income, it’s worth checking if you can get Pension Credit too. You might get extra help if you’re a carer, severely disabled or responsible for a child or young person.

An estimated 880,000 pensioner households are failing to claim a total of £2.1 billion in benefits that they are entitled to, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. On average, this works out to around £2,200 per year for each family entitled to receive Pension Credit who didn’t claim the benefit.

Being eligible for Pension Credit can open doors to other benefits – including help with housing costs, council tax and the Winter Fuel Payment.

Call the Pension Credit claim line to see if you’re due a payment that can be as much as £3,500 a year.

How will my Winter Fuel Payment be paid?

You will have received a letter telling you how much you’re entitled to and an estimated payment date. Your Winter Fuel Payment will have been paid directly into the same bank account your benefits are paid into, usually between November and December.

If you didn’t get a letter or the money wasn’t paid into your account by 29 January 2025, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.