Winter fuel payments scrapped for millions – check to see if you qualify for cash

MILLIONS of pensioners could be left in the cold this winter as Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the universal winter fuel payments will be slashed.

Only those on specific benefits like Pension Credit will qualify for up to £300 in heating bill help starting this year.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves makes a statement in the CommonsCredit: Pixel8000

Until now, winter fuel payments have been made available to everyone above state pension age.

Ms Reeves said it was a "difficult decision" and not one she wanted to make.

Her comments came as she revealed plans to tackle a projected overspend of £22 billion.

She told the Commons: "The scale of the situation we are dealing with means incredibly tough choices. I repeat today the commitment that we made in our manifesto to protect the triple lock.

“But today I am making the difficult decision that those not in receipt of pension credit or certain other means-tested benefits or no longer receive the winter fuel payment.

“From this year onwards, the Government will continue to provide winter fuel payments worth £200 for households receiving pension credit, or £300 for households in receipt of pension credit with someone over the age of 80.

"Let me be clear, this is not a decision I wanted to make, nor is it the one that I expected to make, but these are the necessary and urgent decisions that I must make.”

Ms Reeves also accused the previous Tory government of “covering up the true state of the public finances” as she revealed the results of the Treasury spending audit she commissioned.

Who is eligible for the winter fuel payment?

In most cases, you will get a winter fuel payment if you were born before September 25, 1957.

You also usually need to live in the UK, but you might also qualify if you moved to a specific country before January 1, 2021, and have a link to the UK.

This includes having lived or worked in the UK or having family in the UK. The list of eligible countries is:

Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
Germany
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland

In some circumstances, you won't be eligible for the winter fuel payment, even if you were born before September 25, 1957.

You won't qualify if:

you have been in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
you need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says that you cannot claim public funds
you were in prison for the whole of the week of 18 to 24 September 2023

Those living in a care home will also not be eligible for a winter fuel payment, if both of the following apply:

you get pension credit, income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) or income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
you lived in a care home for the whole time from June 26 to September 24, 2023