Winter Fuel Payment
Check if you need to claim
Most people get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if they’re eligible.
You do not need to claim if you get any of the following:
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Income Support
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
You might need to claim if you live abroad.
How to claim
You can claim Winter Fuel Payment by:
- post - from 30 September 2024
- phone - from 28 October 2024
There’s a different way to claim if you live abroad.
The deadline to make a claim for winter 2024 to 2025 is 31 March 2025.
Claim by post
Fill in a Winter Fuel Payment claim form for UK residents and send it to the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
Winter Fuel Payment Centre
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1LR
Claim by phone
Call the Winter Fuel Payment Centre to claim by phone.
Winter Fuel Payment Centre
Email enquiry form
Telephone: 0800 731 0160
Textphone: contact Relay UK on 18001 then 0800 731 0160
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges
What to prepare before you call
Before you call, you will need to know:
- your National Insurance number
- your bank or building society details
- the date you were married or entered into a civil partnership (if appropriate)
Payments cannot be made into a National Savings and Investments (NS&I) account unless you already get other benefits paid into the account.
You’ll also need to say whether during the qualifying week of 16 to 22 September 2024 you were:
- in hospital getting free in-patient treatment
- in a residential care home or Ilford Park Resettlement Home
- in prison
If you disagree with a decision
You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for mandatory reconsideration.