The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently announced that 11.6 million Winter Fuel Payments and Pensioner Cost of Living Payments - support worth a total of £4.6 billion - have been made to older people across Great Britain, including 973,604 living in Scotland.
The majority of these payments, worth up to £600 per household, have already landed in bank accounts automatically, however, British expats living in 25 European Economic Area (EEA) countries or Switzerland may also be entitled to claim the support, which is open until March 31, 2023. The Winter Fuel Payment is payable to people over State Pension age (66) who meet the qualifying conditions.
Unfortunately, older people living in warmer countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea will not be eligible for the annual payment. You won’t receive the payment if you live in France, Spain, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta or Portugal as the average winter temperature is higher than that recorded in the warmest part of the UK.
Eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment if you live abroad
If you do not live in the UK, you will only be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment if:
- you moved to an eligible country before January 1, 2021
- you were born before September 26, 1956
- you have a genuine and sufficient link to the UK - this can include having lived or worked in the UK, and having family in the UK
You must also have lived in the UK for at least one day during the qualifying week, which ran from September 19th until September 25th, 2022.
Eligible countries
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- Germany
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- When to claim
Guidance on GOV.UK states: “You only need to claim Winter Fuel Payment if you’ve not received it since you moved abroad.
“The rest of the time, you’ll get the payment automatically.”
How to claim
You can claim Winter Fuel Payment by phone or by post, full details on this can be found on GOV.UK here.
The deadline for you to make a claim for winter 2022 to 2023 is March 31, 2023.
Claim by phone
Call the Winter Fuel Payment Centre to claim by phone on +44 (0)191 218 7777.
What to prepare before you call
Before you call, you will need to know:
- your National Insurance number
- your bank or building society details
- your BIC and IBAN numbers
- the date you were married or entered into a civil partnership (if appropriate)
How much you could be paid
You should have had a letter in October or November telling you how much Winter Fuel Payment you’ll get, if you’re eligible. If not, you will need to make a claim.
The Winter Fuel Payment, including the extra £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, is not taxable and does not affect eligibility for other benefits. However, the full amount you will get for winter 2022 to 2023 depends on your circumstances.
Winter Fuel Payment rates 2022/23
Amounts shown in all examples are the total payments, full details of payments can be found on GOV.UK here.
You qualify and live alone (or none of the people you live with qualify)
- Born between September 25, 1942 and September 25, 1956: £500
- Born on or before September 25, 1942: £600
You qualify and live with someone under 80 who also qualifies
- Born between September 25, 1942 and September 25, 1956: £250
- Born on or before September 25, 1942: £350
You qualify and live with someone 80 or over who also qualifies
- Born between September 25, 1942 and September 25, 1956: £250
- Born on or before September 25, 1942: £300
You qualify, live in a care home and do not get certain benefits
Benefits - Pension Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Income Support
- Born between September 25, 1942 and September 25, 1956: £250
- Born on or before September 25, 1942: £300
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