You could be entitled to £200 or £300 to help pay for your heating bills during winter through a Winter Fuel Payment.

The Social Fund is a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) scheme aimed at helping people on a low income with paying expenses/bills. 

This DWP scheme consists of three payments:

  • Winter Fuel Payments
  • Cold Weather Payments
  • Funeral Expenses Payments

What is a winter fuel payment?

If you were born before September 23, 1958 you could get either £200 or £300 to help you pay your heating bills for winter 2024 to 2025, according to the UK Government.

This is known as a ‘Winter Fuel Payment’.

The Government adds: "You may be eligible if you or your partner get certain benefits.

"If you are eligible, you’ll normally get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically."

You may also be entitled to claim:

  • Cold Weather Payment
  • Warm Home Discount
  • Receive help from the Household Support Fund

Who is eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment?

You can get a Winter Fuel Payment for Winter 2024/25 if you were born before September 23, 1958.

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

  • Pension Credit
  • Universal Credit
  • income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
  • Income Support
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Working Tax Credit

In some circumstances, you may still be eligible even if you live abroad.

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Who is not eligible?

You will not be eligible, according to the Government website, if you:

  • Live in Scotland
  • Have been in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
  • Were in prison for the whole of the week of September 16 to 22, 2024
  • Were living in a care home for the whole time from June 24 to September 22, 2024

If you live in a care home, you can still claim a Winter Fuel Payment if:

  • You get certain benefits and are eligible
  • You lived in a care home for less than 13 weeks (including the week of September 16 to 22, 2024).

MPs voted on Tuesday (September 10) to cut Winter Fuel Payments for almost 10 million pensioners.

Under the new guidelines only the country’s "poorest pensioners" will receive the winter fuel payment.

So be sure to check the Government website to see if you are eligible. 

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When you will receive your Winter Fuel Payment

If you are eligible, you’ll get a letter in October or November saying how much you will receive.

If you do not get a letter but you think you’re eligible, check the UK Government website if you need to make a claim.

Most eligible people are paid in November or December.