DWP issues new update with 'thousands' set to keep £300 Winter Fuel Payment

The update is in regards to the pensioners who live abroad and according to figures from the Telegraph, "around 35,000" older Brits get the cash each year

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has shared new rules on the Winter Fuel Payment for those who live abroad.

The update is in regards to the pensioners who live abroad and according to figures from the Telegraph, "around 35,000" older Brits get the cash each year. Earlier this year, the new Labour Government means-tested the DWP benefit so instead of all pensioners over the age of 66 getting between £100 and £300 in support for energy costs this year, only those claiming certain benefits will.

Under the old rules, older Brits who lived in 25 different EU countries and over the state pension age could be eligible for the payment and this included countries such as Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Hungary and Iceland. In the update shared with The Mirror today, the DWP confirmed that people living abroad will be impacted by the changes to eligibility and they will only be able to claim the £300 payment if they receive: "Pension Credit or a benefit equivalent to Pension Credit or another qualifying benefit from the EEA country or Switzerland."

The countries eligible for the payment have remained the same. However, the DWP has not officially published which benefits from the full list of countries could make you entitled - nor has it officially confirmed what people who are claiming these benefits need to do in regard to this year's payment.

The rules for claiming have remained the same, and if you do not live in the UK, you’re only eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment if you claim a benefit equivalent to Pension Credit and:

• You moved to an eligible country before January 1, 2021
• You were born before 23 September 1958
• 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 will also need to be claiming the eligible benefit during the qualifying week of Monday, September 16 until Sunday September 22. The DWP has confirmed that you will continue to get the payment automatically if you have previously been entitled and meet the qualifying criteria. You will only need to make a new claim if you have not got it since you moved abroad.

You can put in a claim for the Winter Fuel Payment by post from September 30 and over the phone from October 28 this year. However, as mentioned earlier the DWP has not yet confirmed what people need to do for this year's payment. This information is set to be published in due course.

To claim by post you will need to download and fill in a Winter Fuel Payment claim form, and the IPCF091 form if you’re a UK national or UK dual national living in an eligible country other than Ireland. You can find the address to send your claim to on the government's Winter Fuel Payment page here.

If you are going to claim over the phone - again you can find this information on the GOV.UK page - 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)

You have until March 31 2025 to make a claim for the Winter Fuel Payment. A government spokesperson said: "We are committed to giving pensioners the dignity and security they deserve in retirement and over a million pensioners will continue to receive the Winter Fuel Payment.

“Given the dire state of the public finances we have inherited it’s right that we target support to those who need it most, and we’re urging anyone who thinks they may be entitled to Pension Credit and a Winter Fuel Payment to check now. Through our commitment to protect the triple lock, those on the full new State Pension will receive £1,700 over the course of this parliament.”

Full list of countries you can claim Winter Fuel Payment from

• 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