Winter Fuel Payment: How the heating allowance scheme works

What is the Winter Fuel Payment?

The Winter Fuel Payment, which is also referred to as the winter fuel allowance or heating allowance, is an annual tax-free payment of either £200 or £300 which helps people born on or before 23 September 1958 to pay for their heating in the winter.

These payments shouldn't be confused with Cold Weather Payments — which you could receive for spells of particularly cold weather on a weekly basis — or with the Warm Home Discount, which is a rebate applied to electricity bills.

Do I qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment?

You could qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment for the upcoming 2024-2025 season if:

• You were born on or before 23 September 1958

You must also live in England or Wales and get one of the following:

• Pension Credit

• Universal Credit

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

• Income Support.

Whether you qualify also depends on a few other factors. You won't qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment if:

• You live in Scotland

• You were in prison for the whole of the week 16-22 September 2024

• You were in hospital getting free treatment for more than 52 weeks

• You need permission to enter the UK under the stipulation that you cannot claim public funds.

You also won't be eligible if you lived in a care home for more than 13 weeks (including the week of 16-22 September 2024).

Our interactive tool below can help you find out if you could be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment and other government schemes to help with your energy bills:

How much winter fuel allowance will I receive?

If you live alone:

If you live with someone else who's eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment:

For more information on the types of households that qualify for Winter Fuel Payment, visit Gov.uk's dedicated page.

Do I need to claim my winter fuel allowance or will I be paid automatically?

You don't need to claim your Winter Fuel Payment if you receive at least one of the following benefits:

• Pension Credit

• Attendance Allowance

• Income Support

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

How do I apply for the Winter Fuel Payment?

To apply, you will need to download an application form or get a claim form sent to you by calling the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160. Return your completed application form from 18 September 2023 until 31 March 2024 to:

Winter Fuel Payment Centre

Mail Handling Site A

Wolverhampton

WV98 1LR

The Winter Fuel Payment won't affect your other benefits and you won't have to pay Income Tax on it.

What if my situation changes (e.g. moving house)?

You never need to claim winter fuel allowance more than once. Your payments will be given to you every year automatically. If you move house, move overseas, or have someone move in with you, give the Winter Fuel Payment Centre a ring on 0800 731 0160.

How is the Winter Fuel Payment paid?

Most payments will be made automatically in November or December. You’ll get a letter telling you:

• how much you're eligible to receive

• which bank account it will be paid into (usually the same account as your State Pension or other benefits).

If you don't receive a letter or the money has not been paid into your account by 29 January 2025, you can contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.

Can I claim winter fuel allowance for past winters?

If you are eligible, you can claim Winter Fuel Payments retrospectively for 1997/98 and 1999/2000. You can't make claims for past winters from 2000/2001 and onwards.

Is any other help available for my gas and electricity bills?

If you don't qualify for benefits like the Winter Fuel Payment, Cold Weather Payment or Warm Home Discount, you can at least see if there are cheaper energy deals available.

It takes minutes to run a quick comparison of your current plan. All you need is your postcode and tariff name to compare online with Uswitch.