Winter Fuel Allowance

In my household of 2 of us in our 70s - one 72 and the other 76 - only the 76 year old received WFP (but 0 last year).

Bit off topic, but I used to buy a small roast topside for two for £12 to £15, now that amount is the cost of 2 steaks. Last weekend I bought a thick cut rump steak from Tesco for £10, for our “roast dinner”. It was very tasty, sliced. We don’t eat pork which is probably the cheaper roast option.

Sorry that should be WFA (Winter Fuel Allowance).

Winter Fuel Payment was and still is a payment of £200 per household (or £300 is someone is age 80 or more).

The only thing that has changed is that someone with an income of over £35,000 will have to pay it back.

This from a 2019 government paper:

Most payments are made automatically between November and December. Individuals usually get a Winter FuelPayment automatically if they get the State Pension or certain other benefits. The “standard” rates are £200 per eligible household where the oldest person is under 80, and £300 for households containing a person aged 80 or over.

researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06019/SN06019.pdf

And this from Turn2us which puts it another way:

www.turn2us.org.uk/get-support/information-for-your-situation/winter-fuel-payment/how-much-winter-fuel-payment-will-i-get#:~:text=If%20you%20live%20with%20a,born%20before%2022%20September%201945

If you live with a partner or someone else who is eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment ... you'll get:

• £100 if both of you were born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959

• £100 if you were born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959 and the other person was born before 22 September 1945

• £200 if you were born before 22 September 1945 but the other person was born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959

* £150 if you were both born before 22 September 1945

Retread

In my household of 2 of us in our 70s - one 72 and the other 76 - only the 76 year old received WFP (but 0 last year).

Bit off topic, but I used to buy a small roast topside for two for £12 to £15, now that amount is the cost of 2 steaks. Last weekend I bought a thick cut rump steak from Tesco for £10, for our “roast dinner”. It was very tasty, sliced. We don’t eat pork which is probably the cheaper roast option.

The payment has always been per household and if one person in the household qualifies then the payment is made.

Jane I realise that, I was responding to farview who says her household received £200 for each person (so £400), by saying we only received one amount. Apologies if that wasn’t clear.

So two people in a household may qualify, but the OP says this used to apply to them, but now doesn’t apply to them.

Thank you for the info paynesgrey. It’s a confusing system!.

Age UK say:

If you or your partner receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income related Employment and Support Allowance, one person will be paid the whole Winter Fuel Payment for the household.

If you and your partner do not receive one of these benefits the payment is split between you and the other qualifying people you live with.

www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/benefits-entitlements/winter-fuel-payment/

i did get a £140 payment for a couple of years and now scotland has stopped it, i am disabled but under the pension age. in scotland Payments are set to begin in November 2025, with the amount varying between £101.70 and £305.10 depending on age and household circumstances.

farview

This hasn’t really been reinstated has it.. because previously,apart from last year, my H and I both received a payment…and now it’s a single payment for couples.. so we used to receive £200 each and now it’s £200 between us

A single person sitting alone needs the same amount of heat as two sitting together. If the two of you share the same house, you don't heat it twice as much.

Is OP forgetting that for 2022 and 2023, the WFP was enhanced by a cost of living payment of £300 per household, so a total £500 where the occupants were under 80 (£600 where 80 or over).

I thought I recalled it as having received £300 (ie single person amount - and I'm in my 70's).

Thinks - must check whether I'm due for my expected £300 this year - now they've reinstated it (at least for poorly-paid people - like me #sighs).

It will be £200 Cariad I believe.

Last few years … apart from last year…as I said… we BOTH received a paymentof £200
Fact!! …

Cariad. I am 70 now and was 66 in the summer of 2021 so first qualified for WFP that year.

If you live alone, like me, you would have received £200 in late 2021, £500 (the usual £200 plus a CoL payment of £300) in late 2022, £500 in late 2023 same as 2022, nothing in 2024 unless you were receiving Pension Credit, £200 due this year.

In 2022 there were additional CoL payments for people in receipt of certain benefits.

All households received £400 under the Energy Benefit Support Scheme paid from October 2022 to March 2023 as either a £66 per month credit to the energy account or customer’s bank account depending on the energy supplier.

I suspect its partly why there was such an outcry over the sudden withdrawal of the universal WFP. People had got used to receiving £500 or £600 per household for two years running and perhaps hadn’t realised it would have gone back to £200/£300 per household that year depending on age.

But the energy price cap had dropped substantally from a height of £4,279 Q1 2023 to £1,690 Q2 2024 by the time the change was announced.

The current price cap from October 1 2025 is £1,755 although it doesn’t mean a single householder will pay anything close to that especially if they have fixed.

farview

Last few years … apart from last year…as I said… we BOTH received a paymentof £200
Fact!! …

Assuming you're not yet 80:

You didn't receive enough in 2023, when (if my memory serves me correctly) it should have been £500 for the two of you.

Before that, it should have been £200 for both - you were overpaid.

Jaxjacky

It will be £200 Cariad I believe.

That's what I'm expecting (£200), although I think I'm also eligible for the Warm Home Discount Scheme, which is worth £150.

Here's the criteria for WHD for 2025, growstuff.

www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme

PaynesGrey

Here's the criteria for WHD for 2025, growstuff.

www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme

Thanks. I'm still not 100% sure. I wasn't eligible last year because my house isn't energy inefficient, but the rules have changed slightly this year. I receive housing benefit, but not the full amount because it's means-tested. The scheme hasn't opened yet, so I can't contact anybody to check. Even though I think I probably am eligible, I'm not counting on it, so it will be a nice addition.

Well it costs the same amount to heat a house where one person lives as it does two so what are you moaning about, £200.00 is not to be sniffed at. Presumably you are both retired, so two pensions and perhaps two private pensions. Get on with it.

Hi you would get £100 each as it’s always been I’m sure you’ll see that if you check.

farview

This hasn’t really been reinstated has it.. because previously,apart from last year, my H and I both received a payment…and now it’s a single payment for couples.. so we used to receive £200 each and now it’s £200 between us

It's never been that much each, during Covid the government made extra payments. This year will be £200 per household as always for pensioners under 80. FACT! If their income is over the new limit then the money will be clawed back by the Government.

It’s £100 per person now. It used to be £200 per household when one party reached the eligible age. Now single pensioners only get £100. Given that heating bills haven’t gone down and in fact keep rising, why isn’t this receiving any publicly?

Elegran When the latest qualifying level came in ie under £35k ignoring tge age qualifications I did wonder at the fairness. If two people have incomes of say £30k each (annual £60k) the household will qualify for full payment. Then, taking a single occupant with £35,100 tgat oerson will receive nothing. To me heating a house with one or two occupants would cost the same. Not including heating water, just warmth. I was wrong. Recently read a piece explaining that two people moving about causes air to move disrupting the heat in the room thus requiring more energy to warm the air again. I am no way technical so this was a surprise to me. My next query woukd be - does it cost twice as much to replace the cooled air. No doubt someone will know. And thosecwho live alone and miss out by a few pounds, well just don't move, sit still for the winter.

Stella14

It’s £100 per person now. It used to be £200 per household when one party reached the eligible age. Now single pensioners only get £100. Given that heating bills haven’t gone down and in fact keep rising, why isn’t this receiving any publicly?

That's not correct. Single pensioners will receive £200.

This is where I urge people to check for pension credits, because you get more and access to other things by having even a few pounds of credit, so get checking on the govt website.
If you have mobility issues and feel brave and persistent, then please go through the PIP minefield because you get it also then, and PIP is NOT means tested even though they do ask you a lot of invasive financial questions.