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Topics: Money
Mia Williams
With the cost of living crisis showing no signs of letting up, millions of Brits are about to receive a helping hand from the government with a winter of steep energy bills on the horizon.
Despite it feeling as though we have been in winter all summer here in the UK, autumn is now firmly upon us, and that means that one household bill is going to skyrocket…the heating.
I know we all try and not do it for as long as we can due to how much it costs, but when the really cold months come into play, it can become vital to keep our homes warm.
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Winter fuel payments were first introduced in 1997 with people being given up to £300 to pay heating bills - but 2023 will see some people get an extra £300 on top of this, totalling to £600 landing in their accounts.
Why are the government deciding to be generous, you might be wondering?
This is down to the pensioner cost of living payment on top of the winter fuel payment, which is separate from other cost of living payments a person may get with benefits and taxes.
In previous years, eligible candidates were given their payments some time between November and January, and this year will be the same.
The money will land in the same account that benefits are paid into.
GOV.UK says that most people should be paid in November or December - with The Sun reporting payments to start from November 1.
If you don't get a letter confirming your eligibility or the money hasn't landed by 26 January 2024, people are urged to contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
In regards to eligibility, you can get a winter fuel payment if you were born before 25 September 1957 (the state pension age).
The amount of money you can receive is based on when you were born, and if you were in the UK between the period of the ‘qualifying week’, which is 18 to 24 September 2023.
If you're born between 25 September 1943 and 24 September 1957 and live alone, you can expect a payment of £500, while those born before 25 September 1943 will get £600.
Meanwhile, if you live with another person who also qualifies, you'll get between £250 and £350.
If you and a partner both qualify and receive additional benefits, you can get up to £600.
It will likely comes as a sigh of relief for many as temperatures begin to drop in the coming months.