DWP warning as Winter Fuel Payment 'absolute deadline' looms to claim £4,300

A man checks his bills
-Credit: (Image: Getty)


Pensioners are being encouraged to do a crucial DWP check that could potentially increase their finances by £4,300 as a deadline approaches. This winter, Labour is altering the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment, resulting in millions of pensioners no longer qualifying for the support. Only those receiving means-tested benefits will get the payment.

However one of the eligible benefits is Pension Credit, and this Government support is hugely underclaimed, with hundreds of thousands of pensioners not taking advantage of the free cash. A typical claim is worth £4,000, so if you're missing out on this and the Winter Fuel Payment, which is worth either £200 or £300 this year, you could be losing an additional £4,300 annually towards your household finances.

Tom Barrett, a financial wellbeing expert at occupational charity caba, has warned of an important upcoming deadline to apply for the benefit. He stated: "We would advise people to check whether they are in receipt of all of their benefit entitlement. Currently, around 800,000 eligible people do not claim Pension Credit.

"Entitlement to Pension Credit will also trigger entitlement to the Winter Fuel Payment, as well as other benefits such as housing benefit. There is an absolute deadline of 21 December 2024 to apply for Pension Credit in order to be entitled to the winter fuel payment for this winter. People can check benefit entitlement using caba's benefits calculator."

Pension Credit assists people of state pension age on low incomes by topping up their weekly income and providing other payments depending on their circumstances. Single claimants receive a top-up of £218.15 a week, while couples see their income boosted to £332.95 per week.

Mr Barrett also urged pensioners who find themselves ineligible for this winter's Winter Fuel Payment not to hesitate in seeking assistance. He stated: "Although you can't wave away financial anxiety overnight, there are proactive steps you can take to ease financial worries and feel prepared for the upcoming changes to winter fuel payments.

"Budgeting is one way to help reduce feelings of money anxiety and make you feel more in control. While living on less money might mean an adjustment to your lifestyle, using a variety of budgeting tools can help you get into sustainable spending habits and help you manage your money better.

"By having a clearer picture of your income and expenditure, you can hopefully keep your finances on track. Using budgeting tools will also highlight any budget deficit earlier, enabling you to take preventative steps such as seeking debt advice sooner, before the issue grows into a larger problem."