Winter fuel allowance scrapped for millions of pensioners - check to see if you qualify
Rachel Reeves announces end of winter fuel payment for those not in receipt of pension credit or other benefits
Rachel Reeves announces cuts to winter fuel payment
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced the end of winter fuel payment for those not in receipt of pension credit or other benefits.
She said she is taking the “difficult decision” that those not in receipt of pension credit or other means-tested benefits will no longer receive the winter fuel payment from this year onwards.
Speaking in the Commons, she said: "This is not a decision I wanted to make, nor is it the one I expected to make. These are the necessary and urgent decisions I must make".
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Ms Reeves said: “Today I’m making the difficult decision that those not in receipt of pension credit or certain other means-tested benefits will no longer receive the winter fuel payment from this year onwards.
“The Government will continue to provide winter fuel payments worth £200 for households receiving pension credit or £300 to households in receipt of pension credit with someone over the age of 80.
“Let me be clear, this is not a decision I wanted to make, nor is it the one that I expected to make, but these are the necessary and urgent decisions that I must make.
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“It is the responsible thing to do to fix the foundations of our economy and bring back economic stability.”
She said the autumn budget will “involve taking difficult decisions” on spending and tax, and will also include the budget for 2025/26 as part of a multi-year spending review.
Who is eligible for the winter fuel payment?
People receiving pension credit, or other means-tested benefits, will receive the winter fuel payment from this year onwards.
It is not yet known which means-tested benefits will see you qualify.
Under previous rules, people would get a winter fuel payment if they were born before September 25, 1957.
You needed to live in the UK, but you may have also qualifed if you moved to a specific country before January 1, 2021, and have a link to the UK.
This includes having lived or worked in the UK or having family in the UK.
In some circumstances, you wouldn't be eligible for the winter fuel payment, even if you were born before September 25, 1957.
You wouldn't qualify if:
- you have been in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
- you need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says that you cannot claim public funds
- you were in prison for the whole of the week of 18 to 24 September 2023
Those living in a care home were also not eligible for a winter fuel payment, if both of the following applied:
- you get pension credit, income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) or income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
- you lived in a care home for the whole time from June 26 to September 24, 2023
