Pensioners due extra payments before end of 2024 including DWP cash - see full list

Linda Howard & Sonia Sharma
·3-min read
People over State Pension age could qualify for extra cash payments this year
-Credit: (Image: PA)


Pensioners could be due some extra payments to help with their finances before the end of this year.

People over State Pension age are urged to check if they are eligible for the following schemes. One of them aims to help households with their energy bills and the cash is paid directly to their energy supplier.

Winter Fuel Payment and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Christmas Bonus are on the list of things to look out for. The Warm Home Discount is paid directly to a person’s energy provider and usually added as credit to their electricity account, reports the Daily Record.

None of the following payments are due to start arriving until November at the earliest. But it’s important to be aware of how much to expect and when - especially as eligibility typically includes a qualifying week.

Winter Fuel Payments - between £100 and £300

People over State Pension age in receipt of an income-related benefit such as Pension Credit during the qualifying week of September 16-22, 2024, will receive the payment automatically - the money is tax-free and will not affect other benefits. Letters will be sent to eligible pensioner households in October or November telling them how much Winter Fuel Payment they will receive.

How much someone receives depends on their age and household circumstances, but it’s worth noting that the £300 will only be paid to those born before September 23, 1944. Most pensioners receive a payment of £200.

DWP Christmas Bonus - £10

The bonus is a one-off, tax-free £10 payment made to people in receipt of State Pension or those claiming certain other benefits during the qualifying week - usually the first full week of December. Nobody needs to apply for the extra £10 as it should automatically go into the account where you usually receive your State Pension or benefit payment. It is made as a separate payment, independent of your scheduled State Pension or benefit payment, so it may arrive on a different day.

Eligible benefits

  • Adult Disability Payment

  • Armed Forces Independence Payment

  • Attendance Allowance

  • Carer’s Allowance

  • Carer Support Payment

  • Child Disability Payment

  • Constant Attendance Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)

  • Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (once the main phase of the benefit is entered after the first 13 weeks of claim)

  • Disability Living Allowance

  • Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate

  • Industrial Death Benefit (for widows or widowers)

  • Mobility Supplement

  • Pension Credit - the guarantee element

  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

  • State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)

  • Severe Disablement Allowance (transitionally protected)

  • Unemployability Supplement or Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)

  • War Disablement Pension at State Pension age

  • War Widow’s Pension

  • Widowed Mother’s Allowance

  • Widowed Parent’s Allowance

  • Widow’s Pension

Warm Home Discount - £150 paid to energy provider

The Warm Home Discount Scheme for winter 2024 to 2025 is set to open in October and will give people on certain benefits £150 off their electricity bill. The scheme eligibility rules changed in 2022, which means some people may no longer qualify and others might need to apply as they will not receive the discount directly.

The money is paid directly by the DWP to energy suppliers between October and March. Eligible households may also be able to get the discount off their gas bill instead - if their supplier provides them with both gas and electricity, just contact them once the scheme opens to find out.

If you’re a credit customer the £150 will be added to your electricity account and if you’re on Pay As You Go or Prepayment, you’ll be sent a voucher that you can use to top-up your meter. You can read more about the changes to eligibility on GOV.UK here.

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