1. Overview
If you were born on or before 25 September 1956 you could get between £250 and £600 to help you pay your heating bills. This is known as a ‘Winter Fuel Payment’.
The amount you’ll get includes a ‘Pensioner Cost of Living Payment’. This is between £150 and £300. You’ll only get this extra amount in winter 2022 to 2023. This is in addition to any Cost of Living Payment you get with your benefit or tax credits.
This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).
You will get your Winter Fuel Payment automatically (you do not need to claim) if you’re eligible and either:
- get the State Pension
- get another social security benefit (not including Adult Disability Payment from the Scottish Government, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Child Benefit or Universal Credit)
If you do not get either of these, or if you live abroad, you may need to make a claim.
If you’ve got a Winter Fuel Payment before, you do not need to claim again unless you’ve deferred your State Pension or moved abroad.
The deadline for you to make a claim for winter 2022 to 2023 is 31 March 2023.
When you’ll be paid
Most payments are made automatically in November or December. You should be paid by 13 January 2023.
Check your account in November and December to make sure you have been paid.
If you do not get your payment, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
Any money you get will not affect your other benefits.
Winter Fuel Payments are different to Cold Weather Payments.
2. Eligibility
You qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment if both the following apply:
- you were born on or before 25 September 1956
- you lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of 19 to 25 September 2022 - this is called the ‘qualifying week’
If you did not live in the UK during the qualifying week, you might still get the payment if both the following apply:
- you live in Switzerland or a European Economic Area (EEA) country
- you have a genuine and sufficient link to the UK - this can include having lived or worked in the UK, and having family in the UK
Read guidance to check if you can get benefits as a UK national in an EU or EEA country, or Switzerland.
You cannot get the payment if you live in Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain because the average winter temperature is higher than the warmest region of the UK.
You may still be able to get Cold Weather Payment or the Warm Home Discount Scheme, even if you do not qualify for Winter Fuel Payment.
When you will not qualify
You will not qualify if you:
- are in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
- need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave states that you cannot claim public funds
- were in prison for the whole week from 19 to 25 September 2022
- lived in a care home for the whole time from 27 June to 25 September 2022, and got Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
3. How much you'll get
How much you get depends on your circumstances during the qualifying week. The qualifying week for winter 2022 to 2023 is 19 to 25 September 2022.
The amounts in these tables includes a ‘Pensioner Cost of Living Payment’. This is between £150 and £300. You’ll only get this extra amount in winter 2022 to 2023.
Any money you get is tax-free and will not affect your other benefits.
Born between 26 September 1942 and 25 September 1956Born on or before 25 September 1942
You qualify and live alone (or none of the people you live with qualify)£500£600
You qualify and live with someone under 80 who also qualifies£250£350
You qualify and live with someone 80 or over who also qualifies£250£300
You qualify, live in a care home and do not get certain benefits£250£300
If you get certain benefits
Your payment may be different if you or your partner gets one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
Born between 26 September 1942 and 25 September 1956Born on or before 25 September 1942
You qualify, get one of the benefits and live alone (or none of the people you live with qualify)£500£600
You qualify and live with a partner who qualifies, and either of you gets one of the benefits£500 - only one of you will get the payment£600 - only one of you will get the payment
You qualify and live with someone (not your partner) who qualifies, and either of you gets one of the benefits£500 - you’ll both get the payment£600 - you’ll both get the payment
You qualify, live in a care home and get one of the benefitsNilNil
When you’ll get paid
Most payments will be made automatically in November or December.
You’ll get a letter telling you how much you’ll get.
If you do not get a letter or the money is not paid into your account by 13 January 2023, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
All benefits, pensions and allowances will be paid into an account, such as a bank account.
If you do not think you have been paid, you should check your account before contacting the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
4. How to claim
You usually do not need to claim Winter Fuel Payment - you’ll get it automatically if you’re eligible.
If you have not got a Winter Fuel Payment before, you only need to claim if any of the following apply:
- you do not get benefits or the State Pension
- the only benefit you get is Adult Disability Payment from the Scottish Government, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Child Benefit or Universal Credit
- you live in Switzerland or an EEA country
If you have got a Winter Fuel Payment before, you only need to claim if since your last payment you have either:
- deferred your State Pension
- moved to Switzerland or an EEA country
Contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre if your circumstances have changed.
If you need to claim
You can claim Winter Fuel Payment by phone or by post.
Claim for the first time by phone
Call the Winter Fuel Payment Centre to claim by phone.
Winter Fuel Payment Centre
Email enquiry form
Telephone: 0800 731 0160
Telephone from outside the UK: +44 (0)191 218 7777
Textphone: contact Relay UK on 18001 then 0800 731 0160
Textphone from outside the UK: contact Relay UK on +44 (0)151 494 2022 then 0800 731 0160
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges
What to prepare before you call
Before you call, you will need to know:
- your National Insurance number
- your bank or building society details
- your BIC and IBAN numbers if you live in an EEA country or Switzerland
- the date you were married or entered into a civil partnership (if appropriate)
Payments cannot be made into a National Savings and Investments (NS&I) account unless you already get other benefits paid into the account.
You’ll also need to say whether during the qualifying week of 19 to 25 September 2022 you were:
- in hospital getting free in-patient treatment
- in a residential care home or Ilford Park Resettlement Home
- in prison
Claim for the first time by post
The forms you need depend on where you live.
If you live in the UK, fill in a Winter Fuel Payment claim form for UK residents.
If you live in an eligible EEA country or Switzerland, fill in the Winter Fuel Payment claim form for EEA or Swiss residents and the IPCF091 form if you’re a UK national or dual national. If you’re a UK national or dual national living in Ireland, you do not need to fill in the IPCF091 form.
You cannot get a Winter Fuel Payment if you live in Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain.
Send your claim to the following address if you’re in the UK.
Winter Fuel Payment Centre
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1LR
Send your claim to the following address if you’re in an EEA country or Switzerland.
Winter Fuel Payment Centre
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1ZU
UK
If you disagree with a decision
You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for mandatory reconsideration.
5. Report a change or cancel your payment
Contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre if you’ve claimed Winter Fuel Payment before and you:
- need to report a change of circumstances
- need to change your address or personal details
- want to cancel future payments
- want to return a payment
Report any change of circumstances as soon as possible, as these can affect how much Winter Fuel Payment you get. For example, if you stop getting a benefit, move house or go into care.
If you cancel your payments, you can change this at any time.
Winter Fuel Payment Centre
Email enquiry form
Telephone: 0800 731 0160
Telephone from outside the UK: +44 (0)191 218 7777
Textphone: contact Relay UK on 18001 then 0800 731 0160
Textphone from outside the UK: contact Relay UK on +44 (0)151 494 2022 then 0800 731 0160
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges
If you’ve been paid too much
You may have to repay the money if you:
- did not report a change straight away
- gave wrong information
- were overpaid by mistake
Find out how to repay the money you owe from benefit overpayment.
For more information visit Winter Fuel Payment: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)