DWP could pay £300 to pensioners who make claim in next 10 days

Pensioners have just 10 days left to make a claim for Pension Credit in order to unlock this year's Winter Fuel Payment.

The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) began sending out payments worth up to £300 to eligible pensioners at the end of last month. The money is aimed at helping vulnerable people with heating costs over winter.

It comes after the government made major changes to the annual payment meaning millions of pensioners will no longer receive it. Previously, everybody over state pension age was sent a Winter Fuel Payment. But this year, only pensioners claiming certain benefits are eligible for the payment.

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The qualifying benefit for the majority of pensioners is Pension Credit, according to the DWP. Pension Credit is worth up to £3,900 a year and can make pensioners eligible for other important benefits, such as help with housing costs, council tax reductions and NHS treatment costs.

Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15 if you’re single or £332.95 if you have a partner. However, if your income is higher, you might still be eligible for Pension Credit, for example if you have a disability, you care for someone, you have savings or you have housing costs.

Pensioners who claim Pension Credit will automatically get the Winter Fuel Payment this year, which is worth £200 for people born between 23 September 1944 and 22 September 1958, and £300 for those born before 23 September 1944.

Anybody who thinks they are eligible for Pension Credit and has not yet applied has just 10 days left to get the Winter Fuel Payment. That's because to get the payment you need to have been in receipt of Pension Credit during the qualifying week, which is September 16 to 24 this year.

Because Pension Credit Claims are backdated by three months, applying for the benefit by December 21 will still get you the Winter Fuel Payment. However, if you apply after this deadline, your claim will not be backdated far enough to receive the Winter Fuel Payment.

The DWP has warned that there are still hundreds of thousands of pensioners eligible for Pension Credit that are not claiming the benefit yet, and are therefore at risk of missing out on the Winter Fuel Payment.

At the end of November, the DWP confirmed that an extra 42,500 pensioners have started claiming Pension Credit since July, when the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment were first announced. The DWP says it takes 16 minutes on average to apply for the benefit.

Minister for Pensions Emma Reynolds MP said: "We’re pleased to see more pensioners are now receiving Pension Credit and our staff are processing claims as quickly as possible. With the 21 December approaching, my message is clear: check if you are eligible for Pension Credit and if you are then apply, as it unlocks a range of benefits including the Winter Fuel Payment."