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When is winter fuel allowance paid? How to get help paying energy bills this winter

THE Winter Fuel Payment is made every year to help cover the cost of energy over the colder months.

The cash boost, worth up to £300, is usually paid in November and December.

At it stands, it is paid to everyone over state pension age, which is currently 66.

However, in July Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the payment will only be made to those on specific benefits like Pension Credit moving forward.

Ms Reeves said it was a "difficult decision" and not one she wanted to make.

Here's everything you need to know about the winter fuel payment, formerly known as the winter fuel allowance.

What is the Winter Fuel Payment?

The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual tax-free benefit designed to help with the cost of heating through the colder months.

Most people who are eligible get it automatically like the state pension or benefits.

Households eligible for the payment are usually told via a letter sent in October or November each year.

If you do meet the criteria but don't automatically get the winter fuel payment, you will have to apply on the government's website.

You'll qualify for a winter fuel payment this winter if the following apply:

you were born on or before September 23, 1958
you lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of September 16 to 22, 2024, in what is known as the "qualifying week"
you receive Pension Credit

If you did not live in the UK during the qualifying week, you might still get the payment if both the following apply:

you live in Switzerland or a EEA country
you have a "genuine and sufficient" link with the UK social security system, such as having lived or worked in the UK and having a family in the UK

But there are exclusions - you can’t get the payment if you live in Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain.

This is because the average winter temperature is higher than the warmest region of the UK.

You will also not qualify if you:

are in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave states that you can not claim public funds
were in prison for the whole "qualifying week"
lived in a care home for the whole time between 26 June to 24 September 2023, and got Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Payments are usually made between November and December, with some made up until the end of January the following year.

If you haven't got your payment by then, you need to call the office that pays your benefits.

Those details can be found in the letters they have sent you.

You will be able to get an up to £300 Winter Fuel Payment this winter, based on receiving the following benefits and being over state pension age:

If you're found to be ineligible for the Winter Fuel Payment but want to challenge that decision, you can do that via the Government's website.

You might also be able to get help via the Household Support Fund.

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