Winter fuel payments will be restored this winter

AROUND nine million pensioners in England and Wales will receive the winter fuel payment this winter, the Chancellor has announced. The payment, worth up to £300, will be restored to the vast majority of pensioners who previously received it because anyone with an income of under £35,000 a year will now get the payment automatically.

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Those with an income above this threshold will also receive the payment, but it will then be reclaimed from them in tax. To be eligible for the winter fuel allowance, a person will need to have reached state pension age by the week starting September 15 this year. Pensioners who do not want to receive the payment will be able to opt out, according to the Treasury.

The decision to limit the winter fuel payment to only those who claimed Pension Credit was one of Labour's first acts in government, aimed at balancing what was described as a £22 billion “black hole” in the public finances.