About The Winter Fuel Allowance 2024 Eligibility – Through the winter fuel payment, the government aims to help pensioners pay for higher fuel bills during the colder months . Approximately 11.5 million pensioners will be eligible to receive up to £600, which encompasses a £300 per household pensioner cost-of-living payment. Here is comprehensive information regarding the timing and method of payment, eligibility criteria, and steps to take if your payment is not received.
Who is eligible for the winter fuel payment?
You are eligible for the winter fuel payment if you were born before September 25, 1957. You also need to reside in the UK to be eligible for the payment. However, if you relocated to an eligible country before January 1, 2021, and maintained a “genuine and sufficient link to the UK,” such as previously living and working there_ you will qualify.
Eligible Countries
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
- Sweden, and
- Switzerland
However, you will not be eligible if you have spent the entire last year in a hospital, or if you have been in prison for the entire week of September 18–24, 2023, or if you lived in a care home for the entire period of June 26–September 24, 2023.
How Much Is The Winter Fuel Allowance 2024
The winter fuel payment ranges from £250 to £600. If you live alone or none of your household members qualify for the winter fuel payment, you will receive either:
• £500 if your birthdate falls between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957.
• £600 if you were born before September 25, 1943.
You must divide the winter fuel payment between you and anyone else who is eligible for it. The division method depends on your birthdate and the benefits you receive.
Your payment might be different if you receive any of these benefits:
- Pension credit
- Income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA),
- Income-related employment is important.
- Support allowance (ESA)
- Income support.
If you and your partner make a joint claim for any of these benefits, one of you will receive a payment of £500. Again, if both were born between September 25 and September 24, 1957, or £600 if one or both were born before September 25, 1943,.
Also, if you didn’t make joint claims for benefits, you will receive an individual payment of 500 if you were born between September 25 and September 24, 1957, or £600 if born before September 25.
If you don’t receive any of the benefits, your payment will be either:
•£250 if both you and your roommate were born between 25 September 1943 and 24 September 1957
• £250 if you were born between 25 September 1943 and 24 September 1957 but your cohabitant was born before 25 September 1943, the payment will be £250.
• will be either £350 if you were born before 25 September 1943 and your partner was born between 25 September 1943 and 24 September 1957
•either £300 if both you and your partner were born before 25 September 1943.Care home residents can still get the payment, but it is less.
Eligible care home residents will receive £250 if born between September 25, 1943, and September 24, 1957, and £300 if born before September 25, 1943.
How To Get Winter Fuel Allowance 2024
On this, most people automatically receive the winter fuel payment. So, if you qualify, you should have received a letter in October or November stating the amount you’ll receive.
Benefits of winter fuel allowance 2024
You will automatically receive the payment if you receive the state pension or another benefit. Some of the benefits involved are:
- Pension credit
- Atentdance allowance
- Personal independence payment (PIP)
- Carer’s 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 injury disability benefit
- Incapacity benefit and industrial death benefit.
If you don’t receive any of these benefits, you will need to make a claim, but only if you haven’t received the payment before. You will also need to make a claim if you have deferred your state pension since your last winter fuel payment. Instructions on how to claim by post or phone are available on the government website.
