Pensioners across Wales have started to receive up to £600 to help with energy bills this winter.
Winter Fuel Payments - boosted again this year by an additional £300 per household Pensioner Cost of Living payment - will land in bank accounts over the next two months, the vast majority automatically.
UK Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said:
We have delivered on our promise to halve inflation and will continue to support people right across Wales, including pensioners who may be facing particular challenges over the colder months.
As well as up to £600 to help our pensioners stay warm this winter, we're boosting pensions through the Triple Lock - increasing the full rate of the New State Pension by over £900 next year.
Welsh Secretary David TC Davies said:
We know that the cost of living is continuing to impact people, and the UK Government wants to do all we can to support those most in need. It is good news that over 600,000 pensioners in Wales will receive help with their energy bills this winter to enable them to keep warm.
The money will appear in bank statements with the payment reference starting with the customer's National Insurance number followed by 'DWP WFP'.
The overwhelming majority of Winter Fuel Payments are paid automatically but some people need to make a claim, such as those who qualify but do not receive benefits or the State Pension and have never previously received a Winter Fuel Payment. The payments deliver additional support to pensioners, the majority of whom are on fixed incomes and are unable to raise their incomes through fixed employment.
The start of the Winter Fuel Payments season comes hot on the heels of the recent £300 Cost of Living payments made by the DWP to more than 400,000 eligible households across Wales.
This latest payment is the second of up to three Cost of Living Payments being made this financial year. These payments - which are all tax-free and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards - demonstrate the UK Government's commitment to supporting low-income families with financial pressures.
Pensioners getting Pension Credit also qualify for this extra support. The average Pension Credit award is now worth £3,900 per year and there is still time for those who are eligible to apply and receive the £300 Cost of Living payment.
This is because an eligible claim for Pension Credit can be backdated by three months provided the entitlement conditions are met throughout that time.
Including measures announced in the Autumn Statement this week, our total commitment to ease cost of living pressures has risen to £104 billion. That includes paying around half the cost of the average energy bill since last October and amounts to an average of £3,700 per household.
Additional Information:
- The Cost of Living Payments, spread across 2023/24, are worth up to £900 for those on means-tested benefits.
