Pension Credit and The Winter Fuel Payment
The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual, one-off payment to help pensioners pay for heating during the winter, which, depending on your age and who you live with, can provide up to £300 towards your energy bills. The new changes mean that you now need to be receiving Pension Credit – a means-tested benefit – to be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment.
However, Pension Credit is an extremely under-claimed benefit with one third of people entitled to Pension Credit currently not claiming it. As such, there were thousands of people this year in our area who should be receiving the Winter Fuel Payment who were at risk of missing out.
In light of this, we launched a campaign encouraging all those who are eligible to claim Pension Credit, so as to not miss out on this vital source of support. We know there are many vulnerable pensioners within our community who rely on the Winter Fuel Payment to be able to properly heat their homes during the cold winter months, and we did not want anyone to miss out on this vital support because they aren’t aware of the changes.
The deadline to apply for Pension Credit to receive the Winter Fuel Payment this year was 21st December 2024. However, if you are concerned about being able to pay your energy bills this winter, our energy team can offer free advice and support on other issues such as getting fuel vouchers, energy grants or changing tariffs.
For further information visit or call our freephone number on 0800 145 6879.
