DWP full list of qualifying benefits for £300 Winter Fuel Payment boost

Millions of Brits will receive a financial boost in the coming weeks to help them cover heating costs as colder weather starts to sweep the country.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will pay the one-off amount, known as the Winter Fuel Payment, to those who receive certain benefits and are born before September 23, 1958. If you're eligible, you could be paid either £200 or £300 to help cover the additional costs of heating for winter 2024/25. Most payments are made automatically in November or December.

Last year, all pensioners qualified for the payment, but a recent change in policy means only those on Pension Credit - or certain other entitlements - will receive the boost this winter. It means access to financial aid will be cut off for a large number of pensioners. The Labour Government's strategy aims to narrow down recipients for the Winter Fuel Payment by introducing means-testing. Here is a full list of qualifying benefits needed to receive the DWP Winter Fuel Payment.

Winter Fuel Payment benefits

You 'll receive a Winter Fuel Payment this year if you were born before 23rd September 1958 and live in England and Wales - and are receiving one of the following benefits:

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

In some cases, you may even qualify if you live abroad. The full details for this can be found ont he GOV.UK website.

When you won't be eligible

You won't qualify for the payment if:

• You're not in receipt of one of the means-tested benefits listed above
• You've been in hospital receiving free treatment for over a year
• You need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave states you cannot claim public funds
• You were in prison for the entire qualifying week of September 16 to 22, 2024

How much Winter Fuel Payment you'll receive

If you live alone, you'll get either:

• £200 if you were born between September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958
• £300 if you were born before September 23, 1944

If you live with someone and jointly claim any of the listed benefits, one person will receive a payment of either:

• £200 if both of you were born between September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958
• £300 if one or both of you were born before September 23, 1944

If you live in a care home and qualify for the payment, you'll get either:

• £100 if you were born between September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958
• £150 if you were born before September 23, 1944

Check if you need to claim

If you're not a recipient of any of the qualifying means-tested benefits, you can claim if either of the following circumstances apply:

• You haven't received the Winter Fuel Payment before
• You or your partner receive Universal Credit

You can claim your Winter Fuel Payment by post from September 30, 2024, or by phone from October 28, 2024. If you recieve Universal Credit, you'll be told how to claim through a notification in your journal.

The deadline to claim this year's Winter Fuel Payment is set for March 31, 2025.

Further information about eligibility and payments can be found on the Winter Fuel Payment section of the GOV.UK website.