If you are eligible for the winter fuel payment then you are entitled to anywhere up to £300 of assistance on your gas and electricity bills tax-free.
The Winter Fuel Allowance, also known as the Winter Fuel Payment, is a yearly tax-free allowance of one hundred to three hundred pounds. It is designed to help people, over a certain age, afford their gas and electricity bills throughout the Winter months.
This allowance is not the same thing as cold weather payments or the warm home discount.
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The requirements for eligibility in 2014-15 are:
You will not qualify for the Winter Fuel Allowance if, from 15-21 of September 2014, you were:
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If your partner receives the following benefits then the Winter Fuel Allowance will be paid to your household:
If your partner does not receive these payments, and is eligible, then you will both receive a shared payment that will be determined by your specific requirements.
If you are not being paid one of the benefits listed below, between 15 – 21 September 2014, then you must claim your Winter Fuel Allowance:
• Employment and Support Allowance
• State Pension
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Attendance Allowance
• War Pension
• Pension Credit
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Bereavement Benefit
• Carer’s Allowance
• Income Support
• Graduated Retirement Benefit
• Disability Living Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit
• Industrial Injuries Benefits
• Widow’s Benefit
If you have previously been given the Winter Fuel Allowance but your situation has since changed then you are required to reapply for it.
In order to claim your Winter Fuel Allowance, you must visit the government’s website and download an application form. Alternatively you can get an application form sent to your address by calling the Winter Fuel Allowance Hotline – 0845 9 15 15 15.
Once you have filled out your claim form then you must post it to:
Winter Fuel Payment Team
Department for Work and Pensions
PO Box 10142
Annesley
Nottingham
NG15 5WY
Once you have successfully applied for the Winter Fuel Payment you do not need to reapply. If you change address, move abroad or take on another occupier, then call 08459 15 15 15 for advice.
You can decide whether you would like your Winter Fuel Allowance to be paid into your account electronically or if you would like to receive a cheque.
If you are already claiming benefits then you will receive you Winter Fuel Allowance in the same manner.
If either you or your partner are receiving the following benefits then you will receive a joint payment:
The only previous Winters that you can claim for are those of 1997/98 and 1999/2000. You cannot claim retrospectively for Winters from 2000/01 onwards.
If you wish to claim for these two Winters then you must fill out an application form that can be found on the government’s website.
Even if you are not eligible for the Winter Fuel Allowance, you may be entitled to the cold weather allowance or the warm home discount.
If you are not qualified to claim for any of these benefits, then you can still save money on your energy bills. To do this simply run a price comparison on our free, impartial energy comparison service.
We’ll show you all the best energy deals and prices that are available to you and give you information on all the different types of plan out there. It’s free and doesn’t take more than 5 minutes. Compare energy now to find out how much you could be saving on your gas and electricity bills.