DWP issues major Winter Fuel Payment update as up to £300 paid into bank accounts

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that hundreds of thousands of pensioners will start to receive their Winter Fuel Payments from today.

Around 1.3 million pensioner households are eligible for the payments, which are worth up to £300, after a major rule change this year.

Previously, all pensioners were handed a Winter Fuel Payment. From this year, only pensioners claiming certain benefits will be getting the money, which is aimed at helping the most vulnerable with heating costs during the winter.

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The payments are being made across England and Wales from today, November 25, the DWP has now confirmed. Most payments will land in pensioners’ bank accounts automatically and the payment reference will begin with the customer’s National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP WFP’.

The amount pensioners receive depends on when they were born. People born between September 23 1944 and 22 September 1958 will receive £200, while those born before September 23 1944 will get £300.

Anyone who is eligible for a payment but does not get one by January 29 next year should contact the DWP after that date.

To get the Winter Fuel Payment, pensioners need to be claiming one of a number of qualifying benefits. Most people who get the payment will be in receipt of Pension Credit, which is for pensioners on a low income.

The government is encouraging pensioners to check if they are eligible for Pension Credit. If they are, and they make a claim before December 21, they can also get the Winter Fuel Payment.

Pension Credit could be worth on average up to £3,900 a year and acts as a gateway to other important benefits including help with housing costs, council tax reductions and NHS treatment costs. From April next year, Pension Credit will be worth £227.10 a week for a single person and £346.60 for a couple.