How much is the Winter Fuel Payment?You will be entitled to a payment of either £200 or £300 depending on your age or your partner’s if you have one.

• A household with someone aged 66-79 will receive £200.
• A household with someone aged 80 or over will receive £300.

Find full details of Winter Fuel Payment.

Scotland is introducing the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment

In Scotland the Winter Fuel Payment will be replaced by the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, worth up to £300. This will also be linked to Pension Credit and certain means-tested benefits.

What about Northern Ireland?

In Northern Ireland, the Winter Fuel Payment, worth between £250 and £600 continues to be available to everyone above State Pension age. There have been no announcements saying that this will change. For full details see the Winter Fuel Payment page on NI Direct

Can I get the Winter Fuel Payment at 65?

If you are 65 you’re under State Pension age, and will not be entitled to the payment if you live alone. However, if you live with your partner who is over State Pension age and you have a joint claim for Universal Credit as a working-age couple, your partner will be eligible and will get a Winter Fuel Payment for your household.

I currently get Pension Credit, how do I claim the Winter Fuel Payment?

You don’t need to do anything. As you are already entitled to Pension Credit, you qualify for the payment. You’ll get a letter in October or November telling you how much you will get. Then you will get the payment in either November or December into the same bank account as your other benefits.

I currently get Pension Credit, will the payment affect my benefits?

No. Winter Fuel Payment is tax-free and will not affect your other benefits.

I don’t currently get Pension Credit, how can I get the Winter Fuel Payment?

You must be eligible for Pension Credit (or one of the other qualifying benefits) during the ‘qualifying week’ of 16 to 22 September. Since Pension Credit can be backdated by three months, the last date you can make a claim for Pension Credit and still get the Winter Fuel Payment is 21 December 2024.

It takes between six and eight weeks to process new Pension Credit claims, due to high volumes of applications. But as long as you apply by 21 December and your claim is successful you will get Winter Fuel Payment.

What qualifies as a low income for Pension Credit?

You will typically qualify for Pension Credit if your weekly income is below £201.05 if you live alone or your income is less than £306.85 a week if you’re part of a couple. Any savings above £10,000 is treated as income. If you have more than £10,000, the government assumes you “earn” income from it and reduces the amount of Pension Credit you get.

Pension Credit is available to both people claiming their State Pension, and people who don’t qualify for State Pension. The easiest way to find out what you can get is to use the Pension Credit calculator.

You can have savings and still get Pension Credit

Even if you have considerable savings, you could still be eligible for Pension Credit if your other income is low enough. If you have £10,000 or less, this won’t affect your eligibility at all. If you have more than £10,000 in savings, you could still be eligible, so it is always worth checking.

How do savings affect your income?

For every £500 (or part of £500) you have saved or invested the government treats this as £1 income. So if you’ve got £15,000 in savings and investments, £10,000 doesn’t count, but the remaining £5,000 is treated as £10 a week in weekly income. If you have a partner, their savings are added to yours.

If your savings drop, let the Pension Service know and ask them if you now qualify. For more information, read the article about how savings can affect your benefits to find out what counts as savings, and what doesn’t.

Homeowners can claim Pension Credit

Even if you own your home, you can still make a claim for Pension Credit. Almost half of the people who already get Pension Credit are homeowners. It’s always worth finding out what you're entitled to.

Pension Credit can boost your budget by unlocking a range of extras

Even if you only qualify for a small amount of Pension Credit, the fact that you get it unlocks a range of extra help that can make your money go further. Pension Credit is a ‘gateway’ to a range of other support including:

• help with rent or mortgage payments
• NHS dental care and glasses
• free TV licence (if you’re aged over 75)
• reduced tariffs on mobile, broadband and utilities
• Council Tax reductions.

A major change to this year’s Winter Fuel Payment means that to get the allowance that’s worth up to £300, you must also receive Pension Credit. If you don’t currently get Pension Credit, but think you could be eligible, it’s vital to check now and apply, otherwise you could miss out.

Winter Fuel Payment eligibility is changing in England and Wales

The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual tax-free lump sum worth up to £300 to help people over State Pension age with heating costs. Until this year everyone above State Pension age was entitled to the payment regardless of their circumstances, but now you need to claim Pension Credit or another qualifying benefit to get the winter 2024/25 payment.

Not sure if you can get Pension Credit? If you’re on a low income check the Pension Credit calculator to see if you could get a vital boost to your income, it can be worth an average of £3,900 a year.  You could still qualify, even if you have savings. If you’re living on a low income, use MoneyHelper's Benefits calculator to quickly find out what you could be entitled to.

Keep your Winter Fuel Payment by claiming Pension Credit

The allowance is now linked to certain means-tested benefits including Pension Credit. Pension Credit helps those over State Pension age who are living on a low income. It works by topping up income to a minimum level and can be worth more than £3,900 a year.

To keep getting your Winter Fuel Payment you must be eligible for Pension Credit or one of the other following benefits during the ‘qualifying week’ of 16 to 22 September 2024.

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

How to check if you’re eligible for Pension Credit

It’s quick and free to check if you could get Pension Credit. If you’ve reached State Pension age and your weekly income is below £201.05 if you live alone or £306.85 if you live with a partner you could be eligible – even if you own your home or have savings.

The quickest way is to call the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234 or use the Pension Credit calculator.

Do you know someone who might be missing out on Pension Credit?

Pension Credit helps support people over the State Pension age to live with a minimum level of income. But one in three people who are entitled to this vital income boost do not claim it. Recent estimates suggest there could be more than 800,000 eligible households who are missing out.  They will also miss out on the Winter Fuel Payment if they don’t make a claim soon.

If you know someone who is living on a low income who might be entitled to Pension Credit it is vital to urge them to check if they could get help.

If you are struggling with heating bills there is more help available

If you claim Pension Credit or another qualifying benefit, such as Universal Credit, The Winter Fuel Payment is just one form of support you could get if you’re struggling with heating costs. You could also get:

• A Cold Weather Payment - if you get certain benefits and the temperature drops to zero degrees Celsius or below for seven days in a row you can get £25 for every seven-day period. See more in Who is entitled to Cold Weather Payments?
• The Warm Home Discount - this is a £150 discount on your bills if you get Pension Credit or live in a low-income household. See What is the Warm Home Discount and how can I apply?