Do you owe a winter fuel payment? An important date approaches this week for those expecting £600

Millions of older Brits will be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment this year, worth up to £600.

This is a payment for people born before September 25, 1957 to help you pay your heating bills, between £250 and £600.

The time is fast approaching to double-check your eligibility for the payment and when you can expect to receive the money.

If you haven't received your payment yet, you will soon be able to file a claim asking when your money will arrive. The date on which you can submit this claim is after January 26.

Rising energy costs mean more and more people are struggling to heat their homes (stock image)

The winter fuel payment will be deposited directly into your bank account in November or December.

It appears on bank statements where the payment reference starts with the applicant's national insurance number, followed by 'DWP WFP' for people in Great Britain.

Winter fuel payment center

If you are eligible for the payment but have not received it by January 26, you can contact the Winter Fuel Payment Center in several ways.

You can contact them by telephone or by post.

From Great Britain the telephone number is 0800 731 0160.

For those who don't live in the UK, the number is 0191 218 7777.

To contact them by post, download the relevant form and then send it to: Winter Fuel Payment Centre, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 1ZU,

It starts with 'DFC WFP' for people in Northern Ireland.

Have you not received a letter or is the money not yet in your account on January 26, 2024? Please contact the winter fuel payment center on the government website.

The payment you receive if you qualify can be up to £600.

However, depending on various factors, this may be less.

The winter fuel payment you receive is normally worth £300 and is subject to various living circumstances and arrangements.

However, anyone eligible this year will also receive an additional £300 towards pensioner living expenses, meaning some households will receive up to £600.

That's why some get less than £600.

You are eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2023/24 if you were born before September 25, 1957.

In addition, you must have lived in Britain (although in certain circumstances you can make a claim if you moved abroad for at least one day between September 18 and 24, 2023).

It is worth noting that the qualifying period changes annually, but is usually the week beginning the third Monday in September.

It is also worth noting that the people who receive the following benefits will automatically receive the Winter Fuel Payment:

AOW

Pension credit

Attendance allowance

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

Healthcare allowance

Disabled Housing Allowance (DLA)

Income support

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Income-related jobseeker's benefit (JSA)

war pension system awards

Disability benefit

Industrial death benefit

Factors affecting whether you should apply for the benefit (rather than automatically receive it) include delaying your state pension, living abroad or not receiving these pensions.

The latest winter fuel payment has been made available to millions of pensioners to help them pay for a rise in fuel bills during the colder months (stock image)

Those who do not live in Great Britain will only be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment if they moved to an eligible country before January 1, 2021, were born before September 25, 1957 and have a genuine and sufficient connection with Great Britain .

This could mean, for example, that you have lived or worked in Great Britain, and that you have family in Great Britain.

You will not receive the benefit if the following applies and you live in a care home:

You receive income support, pension credit, income-related jobseeker's allowance (JSA) or income-related employment and support allowance (ESA).

You are also not eligible if you lived in a care home all the time from June 26 to September 24, 2023.