The qualifying period for the 2024 Winter Fuel Payment runs from 16 to 22 September, and closes on 16 September, according to the End Fuel Poverty Coalition1. The coalition reports that almost 900,000 pensioners need to apply for Pension Credit if they are to receive the payment, and that a recorded message on the Pension Credit helpline states applications could take nine weeks to process1.
Ministers have said pensioners can still apply for the Winter Fuel Payment after the qualifying period has closed, provided they apply for Pension Credit before 21 December and would have been eligible during the qualifying period of 16 to 22 September1. The Department for Work and Pensions advises that eligible claimants whose Winter Fuel Payment does not come through automatically must claim for it by 31 March 20251. The coalition states that backdating payments means extra bureaucracy, and that money may not reach vulnerable pensioners until after the first cold spell of the winter1.
The coalition's spokesperson said:
"It's clear Ministers have not thought this through."
Polling by YouGov for the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit found that 67 per cent of people were aware of the move to remove winter fuel allowance payments from pensioners apart from those receiving means-tested benefits, that 59 per cent opposed it and 28 per cent were in favour1. Citizens Advice research cited by the coalition found that a quarter of the UK population believe they could be forced to turn off their heating and hot water this winter because of an expected rise in household energy bills from October, rising to 39 per cent of bill payers on a low income1.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 16 to 22 September 2024 | Qualifying period for the Winter Fuel Payment1 |
| 21 December 2024 | Deadline to apply for Pension Credit and still qualify1 |
| 31 March 2025 | Deadline to claim the Winter Fuel Payment where it is not paid automatically1 |
Why it matters for households
The Winter Fuel Payment is no longer paid to all pensioners, and receipt now depends on qualifying for means-tested benefits during a fixed week in September. For a household that has not yet claimed Pension Credit, the timing of the claim determines whether this winter's payment arrives at all, and the helpline's stated nine-week processing time sits well beyond the qualifying period1. Where a payment is made through backdating rather than automatically, the coalition states the money may not arrive until after the first cold spell1. The Winter Fuel Payment is separate from the Warm Home Discount, and eligibility for one does not follow from the other.
What happens next
Pension Credit claims made before 21 December can still lead to a Winter Fuel Payment for those who would have been eligible in the qualifying period1. Claims for the payment itself, where it is not automatic, must be made by 31 March 20251. The coalition has called on the government to broaden the targeting of the Winter Fuel Payment, introduce support to end energy debt, expand the Warm Home Discount and extend the Household Support Fund1. It has not been reported whether those calls have been accepted.
Sources1 cited
- Government winter fuel payment plans hit by chaos, endfuelpoverty.org.uk