Time running out as deadline looms to apply for winter fuel payment worth up to £300

Pensioners have until the end of Saturday to apply for benefits which could unlock access to the winter fuel payment, or risk missing out on up to £300.

It has been switched to a means-tested benefit including for those on pension credit, but official estimates suggest there are 760,000 households who do not claim pension credit.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves decided to scrap the universal entitlement to a winter fuel payment, blaming a financial black hole inherited from the previous Conservative government.

Ms Reeves said the change would save the Treasury around £1.4bn this financial year.

Winter Fuel Payment: Discover if you are eligible?

The number of pensioners receiving the payment is expected to fall by around 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million.

Those born before 23 September 1958 can receive a £200 or £300 payment if they receive pension credit or other key benefits including universal credit, child or working tax credit, or jobseeker's allowance.

Pension credit tops up weekly incomes to £218.15 for a single pensioner or £332.95 for a joint weekly income for those with a partner.

The deadline to qualify for the 2024/25 winter fuel payment is 11.59pm on Saturday for online applications.

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has also said that claim phone lines will be open on Saturday until 3.15pm.

The government has deployed around 500 additional staff to support processing applications.

But charities have been scathing about the decision to reform the payment. When the changes were first announced In September, Age UK said: "We just don't think it's fair to remove the payment from the 2.5 million pensioners on low incomes who badly need it."

A government spokesperson said: "Over one million pensioners will still receive the winter fuel payment, and our drive to boost pension credit take-up has seen applications more than double with over 40,000 more pensioners now receiving it, as well as the winter fuel payment."

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The winter fuel payment is a devolved matter for Scotland, as well as Northern Ireland where a one-off £100 payment will be made by the end of March 2025 to all pensioner households who have had their winter fuel payments removed.

In November, the Scottish government announced it would apply its own scheme for winter 2025/26 for those on eligible benefits.

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