Four errors will stop state pensioners getting £300 Winter Fuel Payment

Four errors will stop state pensioners getting £300 Winter Fuel Payment

Four errors could see you miss out on the Allowance.

by · Birmingham Live

Four errors could STOP you getting the £300 Winter Fuel Payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Households are still set to get the £300 Winter Fuel Payments this year, from the DWP, after a eligibility shake up under the new Labour Party government.

But four errors could see you miss out on the Allowance. Worryingly, you will not qualify if you are in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year OR if you need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave states that you can not claim public funds.

Other reasons you won't qualify are if you were in prison for the whole "qualifying week" or if you lived in a care home for the whole time between 26 June to 24 September 2023, and got Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance.

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If you live in England or Wales, you'll only be able to get a Winter Fuel Payment from now on if you're over state pension age and receiving one of the following benefits: Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit and Universal Credit.

How much you'll receive in Winter Fuel Payments won't be changing - they will still be worth up to £300, depending on your circumstances. The update means around 10 million fewer pensioners will be able to claim Winter Fuel Payments. At the moment around 11.4 million qualify.

But this will be reduced to 1.5 million who meet the criteria. The move will save the Treasury around £1.4billion this financial year. It is estimated that 880,000 people who are entitled to pension credit don't claim it.

On Sunday the Government launched a week of action saying this "needs to change". Ministers called on everyone who is eligible to sign up. This will ensure they don't miss out on Winter Fuel Payments.