If you were born on or before 5 August 1953 you could get between £100 and £300 to help you pay your heating bills. This is known as a ‘Winter Fuel Payment’.
You usually get a Winter Fuel Payment automatically if you’re eligible and you get the State Pension or another social security benefit (not Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Child Benefit or Universal Credit).
If you’re eligible but don’t get paid automatically, you’ll need to make a claim.
You have until 31 March 2018 to claim for winter 2017 to 2018.
Most payments are made automatically between November and December. You should get your money by 15 January 2018.
If the money isn’t paid into your account before then, call the office that pays your benefits – their details are on any letters they sent you.
Any money you get won’t affect your other benefits.
Eligibility
You qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment if both the following apply:
- you were born on or before 5 August 1953
- you’ll be living in the UK for at least one day during the week of 18 to 24 September 2017 – this is called the ‘qualifying week’
You may still be able to get Cold Weather Payment or the Warm Home Discount Scheme, even if you don’t qualify for Winter Fuel Payment.
What you’ll get
How much you get depends on your circumstances during the qualifying week. The qualifying week for winter 2017 to 2018 is 18 to 24 September 2017.
Any money you get is tax-free and won’t affect your other benefits.
| Circumstance | Born between 25 September 1937 and 5 August 1953 | Born on or before 24 September 1937 |
|---|---|---|
| You qualify and live alone (or none of the people you live with qualify) | £200 | £300 |
| You qualify and live with someone under 80 who also qualifies | £100 | £200 |
| You qualify and live with someone 80 or over who also qualifies | £100 | £150 |
| You qualify, live in a care home and don’t get certain benefits | £100 | £150 |
If you get certain benefits
Your payment may be different if you or your partner get one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
| Circumstance | Born between 25 September 1937 and 5 August 1953 | Born on or before 24 September 1937 |
|---|---|---|
| You qualify, get one of the benefits and live alone (or none of the people you live with qualify) | £200 | £300 |
| You qualify and live with someone who also gets one of the benefits | £200 – only one of you will get the payment | £300 – only one of you will get the payment |
| You qualify, live in a care home and get one of the benefits | Nil | Nil |
How and when you’re paid
You’ll get a letter telling you how much you’ll get and an estimated payment date.
Most payments are made automatically between November and December. If you get any other benefit, you’ll get your Winter Fuel Payment at the same time as your regular payments.
If the money hasn’t been paid into your account by 15 January 2018, call the office that pays your benefits – their details are on any letters they sent you.
If you qualify and you’re not getting a social security benefit (or if you only get Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Child Benefit or Universal Credit), you’ll need to make a claim.
All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into an account, such as a bank account.
How to claim
If you’re eligible for Winter Fuel Payment, you’ll usually get it automatically.
You’ll need to claim it if you’ve not had it before and any of the following apply:
you don’t get benefits or a State Pension
you only get Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Child Benefit or Universal Credit
you get benefits or a State Pension but live in Switzerland or an EEA country
You also need to claim Winter Fuel Payment if you’ve deferred your State Pension, even if you had it before. You only need to do this once.
You have until 31 March 2018 to claim for winter 2017 to 2018.
If you’ve claimed Winter Fuel Payment before, you should get it automatically from the organisation that pays your benefits. Contact them if you have any questions or there’s a change in your circumstances. You can find their details on any letters they’ve sent you.
Claim for the first time by phone
Call the Winter Fuel Payment Centre to claim by phone.
Winter Fuel Payment Centre
Email enquiry form
Telephone: 0800 731 0160
Telephone from outside the UK: +44 (0)191 218 7777
Textphone: 0800 731 0464
Textphone from outside the UK: +44 (0)191 218 7280
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges
You’ll need to know:
- your National Insurance number
- your bank or building society details
- your BIC and IBAN numbers if you live in the EEA or Switzerland
- the date you were married or entered into a civil partnership (if appropriate)
Claim for the first time by post
Winter Fuel Payment claim form if you live in the UK
Where to send your claim form
Send your claim to the following address if you’re in the UK.
Winter Fuel Payment Centre
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1LR
If you disagree with a decision
You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for mandatory reconsideration.
Be sure to chewck the GOV.UK website for the msot up-to-date information on Winter Fuel Payments
