Who qualifies for Winter Fuel Payment

Who can get it

Winter Fuel Payment is not means tested. You can get it if you’re working or claiming a benefit.

You can automatically qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2021/2022 if both the following apply:

• you were born on or before 26 September 1955
• you lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of 20 to 26 September 2021 - this is called the ‘qualifying week’

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 European Economic Area (EEA) country
• 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

Read guidance to check if you can get benefits as a UK national in an EU or EEA country, or Switzerland.

You cannot get the payment if you live in Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain because the average winter temperature is higher than the warmest region of the UK.

You will 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 cannot claim public funds
• were in prison for the whole week from 20 to 26 September 2021
• lived in a care home for the whole time from 28 June to 26 September 2021, and got Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

You may still be able to get Cold Weather Payment, even if you do not qualify for Winter Fuel Payment.

Make a claim for Winter Fuel Payment

To find out who needs to make a claim for the payment and how to go about it, visit the following page:

• Making a claim for Winter Fuel Payment