Thousands on state pension missing out on winter fuel payments to be given £200 through new scheme – are you eligible?
THOUSANDS of people on a state pension who are missing out on winter fuel payments could be eligible for £200 through a new scheme.
The support comes in the form of vouchers for food and energy.
It is available to residents of Kent who are on low incomes but are not eligible for winter fuel payments – which are now means-tested following a controversial move by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
The scheme, called the Pensioner Just Missing Out scheme, is open for applications now.
To be eligible, you or a partner living with you must be aged 66 or over.
You must be a Kent resident, permanently living within on of the 12 local authorities covered by Kent County Council – Medway, Bexley, or Bromley.
You must have an annual income of between £11,343.80 (£17,313.40 for a joint household income) and £40,000 before tax.
And, you must not have more than £1000 in savings or be on Pension Credit.
To apply, simply go to the Kent Council website – making sure you have all your personal details to hand.
After you submit your application, the council will take up to 20 days to let you know the result.
If it is declined, you can appeal the decision within seven days.
If it is accepted, your household will be able to redeem the £200 vouchers towards food or energy or both.
Energy vouchers will need to be activated online, while food vouchers can be sent by email or post.
The scheme is financed through the Household Support Fund – with £1million allocated to Kent residents this winter.
This was set up by the Department for Work and Pensions in 2021 to support Brits through the cost of living crisis.
Roger Gough, leader of Kent County Council, said the cash injection would provide much-needed relief to pensioners across the county.
He said: “We think it is really important to ensure that there is support for those people who are going to be really affected by what’s happened with the Winter Fuel Allowance and who are not eligible for Pension Credit.
“There are an awful lot of older people in Kent who don’t qualify for pension credit, but are just at that level above it.
“People for whom this winter could mean real hardship.
“This support is aimed at those who will experience real pressure throughout the winter and may have to make difficult decisions about energy or food.
“So the focus will very much be ensuring those older people can be in a much better situation than would otherwise have been the case.”
If you don’t live in Kent, the Household Support Fund is also financing numerous other local schemes across the country – check your council website to see if yours is included.
It comes after the government released £421 million to be distributed between councils and then dished out to vulnerable residents over the colder season.
The pot of cash will be available from October this year until March next year.
Birmingham will receive the greatest share for instance, worth £12.8million.
Receiving the second largest share will be Kent, with £11million, and Lancashire will get £9.7million.
Household Support Fund explained
Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements explains what you need to know about the Household Support Fund.
If you’re battling to afford energy and water bills, food or other essential items and services, the Household Support Fund can act as a vital lifeline.
The financial support is a little-known way for struggling families to get extra help with the cost of living.
Every council in England has been given a share of £421million cash by the government to distribute to local low income households.
Each local authority chooses how to pass on the support. Some offer vouchers whereas others give direct cash payments.
In many instances, the value of support is worth hundreds of pounds to individual families.
Just as the support varies between councils, so does the criteria for qualifying.
Many councils offer the help to households on selected benefits or they may base help on the level of household income.
The key is to get in touch with your local authority to see exactly what support is on offer.
And don’t delay, the scheme has been extended until April 2025 but your council may dish out their share of the Household Support Fund before this date.
Once the cash is gone, you may find they cannot provide any extra help so it’s crucial you apply as soon as possible.
What other help can I get?
Many energy companies are offering help to those struggling to pay their bills this winter – especially pensioners, as their Winter Fuel Payments are set to be slashed.
This comes as Rachel Reeves announced a £22bn black hole in public spending, making a controversial cut to winter allowances for pensioners not receiving universal credit or any other means-tested benefit.
Follwing the announcement, Octopus Energy has introduced a new scheme, offering pensioners discretionary credit of between £50 and £200.
As well as this, Scottish Power’s Hardship Fund has handed out more than £60 million to all struggling customers.
Help is available if you receive from a long list of benefit schemes, including Income Related Employment and Support Allowance or Income Based Jobseeker’s allowance.
You may also be eligible if you are facing circumstances impacting your earnings, such as illness.
Another company offering help is Utilita – which offers grants to customers to help clear or minimise energy debt.
The scheme operates through Utilita Giving, which is the company’s charity partner.
Utilita Giving also partners with other charities such as IncomeMax, which helps customers make sure they are claiming what they are entitled to, and Let’s Talk, which provides replacement white goods.
Meanwhile, Utility warehouse offers payments of up to £140 to customers about to go in debt, or are currently indebted.
The team has helped 6,000 customers increase their combined disposable income in the last year by £9 million.
To find out if you are eligible for any of these schemes, visit their websites and review the conditions of applying.
Via the website you will find information on how to apply – saving you huge amounts of cash this winter in just a few steps.
What is the Winter Fuel Payment?
Consumer reporter Sam Walker explains all you need to know about the payment.
The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual tax-free benefit designed to help cover the cost of heating through the colder months.
Most who are eligible receive the payment automatically.
Those who qualify are usually told via a letter sent in October or November each year.
If you do meet the criteria but don’t automatically get the Winter Fuel Payment, you will have to apply on the government’s website.
You’ll qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment this winter if:
- you were born on or before September 23, 1958
- you lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of September 16 to 22, 2024, known as the “qualifying week”
- you receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit, ESA, JSA, Income Support, Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit
If you did not live in the UK during the qualifying week, you might still get the payment if both the following apply:
- you live in Switzerland or a EEA country
- you have a “genuine and sufficient” link with the UK social security system, such as having lived or worked in the UK and having a family in the UK
But there are exclusions – you can’t get the payment if you live in Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain.
This is because the average winter temperature is higher than the warmest region of the UK.
You will also not qualify if you:
- are in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
- need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave states that you can not claim public funds
- were in prison for the whole “qualifying week”
- lived in a care home for the whole time between 26 June to 24 September 2023, and got Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Payments are usually made between November and December, with some made up until the end of January the following year.