Winter Fuel Payments have sparked controversy after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a tightening of eligibility criteria, excluding hundreds of thousands of Brits from the seasonal £200 or £300 payments.
But what changes can those still eligible expect?
For the most part, the DWP will administer Winter Fuel Payments in the same manner as last year, starting with an informative letter that eligible Brits should receive in either October or November.
This letter outlines the amount due and specifies the bank account into which it will be paid, typically the same account where Pension Credit or other benefit payments are received.
If you’re unable to open or manage the designated account, you can opt to receive the payment through the Payment Exception Service.
Regardless of the method chosen, the payment should be made automatically between November and December.
However, the DWP website indicates that payments could take until March to process, so pensioners needn’t worry about being overlooked until then.
Conversely, if you don’t receive a letter or if your payment hasn’t arrived by January 29, 2025, you can reach out to the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
You’ll also need to contact the centre if you wish to return a payment or cancel future payments.
This year, many individuals have applied for Pension Credit for the first time due to additional qualifying criteria for Winter Fuel Payments. The process for claiming their seasonal payment may differ slightly depending on when they apply.
Money Helper highlights that people have until December 21, 2024, to claim Pension Credit and still qualify for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment. However, those applying late should note that it can take between 6 to 8 weeks to process new Pension Credit claims due to a high number of applicants.
This is because Pension Credit can be backdated by up to 3 months and individuals need to be eligible, if not applying for or already receiving, Pension Credit during the qualifying week for Winter Fuel Payments which was September 16 to 22.
