Pensioners urged to check they receive £600 Winter Fuel Payment

State pension: Pensioner asks ‘who’s going to pay?’

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Eligible people will be paid between £250 and £600, with the payment including a Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, of between £150 and £300. The support will be welcome as average annual energy bills have risen to £2,500 from the start of October.

The payment is available to Britons who were born before September 26, 1956, and who currently live in the country.

People receive a letter in October or November to tell them how much they will get and payments are then made in stages.

Caroline Abrahams, Age UK Charity Director, said: “The Government has just started sending out Winter Fuel Payment to the 11 million plus older people entitled to it across the UK.

“It doesn’t send it to everyone all at once, because of the sheer scale of the operation, but you should look out for it appearing in your bank account over the next few weeks.

“For the vast majority of people, it should arrive automatically without you having to do anything yourself, but if by the new year it still hasn’t appeared then it’s worth making sure there hasn’t been a mistake.”

The Government website advises that if a person has not been paid by January 13, 2023, they can contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.

There is no need to apply for the payment if a person receives one of these 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.

Individuals who do not get any of these benefits will need to claim if they have not had the payment before, or if they have deferred their state pension since they last received the payment.

Ms Abrahams explained: “How much Winter Fuel Payment is worth to you depends on some qualifying conditions, and this year pensioners are being given an extra £300 on top, to help them cope with the huge energy price hikes we are seeing.

“At Age UK we hope that together, these sums give older people the confidence to keep their heating turned up high enough to stay warm during the chilly weather.

“However, we know that many older people on low incomes are finding making ends meet a real struggle.

“Some of them are likely to be entitled to benefits that they don’t actually claim and that could make quite a difference to their standard of living overall, so if you think this may apply to you please do call the Age UK advice line free of charge on 0800 169 6565, visit www.ageuk.org.uk/money or contact your local Age UK for further information and advice.”

Britons who do not live in the UK may still be able to get the funds, if they moved to one of several eligible countries before January 1, 2021.

They must have been born before September 26, 1956, and have a sufficient link to the UK, such as having lived or worked in the country or having family there.

The eligible countries are:

  • 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.

People can put in a claim for the Winter Fuel Payment by phone or by post, by the deadline of March 31, 2023.

Those putting in a claim will need to provide details of their National Insurance number, their bank or building society details and their BIC and IBAN numbers.

A person may also need to provide information about the date they married or entered into a civil partnership, if this is appropriate.

Individuals also have the option to challenge a decision about their claim through the mandatory reconsideration process.

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