Pensioners warned they could miss out on £300 energy support – check eligibility | Personal Finance | Finance
The Government states pensioners are “disproportionately impacted by higher energy costs”. As a result, it is issuing the £300 one-off payment to eligible people to help with rising costs this winter.
It is thought the payment will be made available to eight million pensioner households.
They must be in receipt of the Winter Fuel Payment in order to be eligible for this support.
It will be paid on top of other one-off support a pensioner household is entitled to.
This, for example, includes those on Pension Credit or individuals receiving disability benefits.
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Some will be excluded from the winter fuel payment, and thus the £300 energy bill support entirely.
This is because pensioners who are expats and living in certain places overseas will not be eligible for a winter fuel payment.
The Government website explains: “You cannot 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.”
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People will not qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment if they are in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year.
This is also the case if they were in prison for the whole week from September 19 to 25, 2022.
Individuals do not qualify if they need permission to enter the UK, and their granted leave states they cannot claim public funds.
Finally, a Winter Fuel Payment will not be issued to those who lived in a care home for the whole time from June 27 to September 25, 2022 and got one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
