Winter fuel allowance when is it paid

What the DWP allowance is, who can claim it and when it gets paid The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual tax-free payment from the Department of Work and Pensions to help people pay for energy. By Alex Finnis Reporter. The freshest exclusives and sharpest analysis, curated for your inbox Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing!

Sorry, there was a problem. Read More Winter Fuel Payment must go to millions more to prevent needless deaths as gas prices soar, campaigners warn.

More from News. Long Reads The secret court case 50 years ago that robbed transgender people of their rights ever since. Energy firms buy gas and electricity wholesale and with higher demand and limited supply, prices have shot up to record levels. This should only affect yo if you are on a variable rate, and there is a limit as to how high it can go. Consumers are protected by the energy price cap, which was introduced in January and is intended to prevent customers paying excessively high prices.

It means suppliers cannot pass on the increase in wholesale gas prices to customers. If you did not live in the UK during the qualifying week, you might still get the payment if both the following apply:. Will energy prices go up? How gas shortage could lead to electricity price rise and the Ofgem cap explained. Also, if you have deferred your state pension, you will need to claim Winter Fuel Payment — you only need to do this once before the payment becomes automatic.

Is Octopus Energy safe? You can also claim for the first time by post. This can include having lived or worked in the UK, and having family in the UK. You are not eligible for 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.

Most payments for the winter fuel allowance are made automatically in November or December, but if you are eligible and have made a claim it should arrive by January 14, , at the latest. If you are not eligible for the winter fuel allowance, there are other schemes to help with energy costs.

This applies for every seven-day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies.