My mum is 84 years old and lives on her own with her small and state pension as income.
He told me he won’t be getting winter pay this year, but I think he should.
What can I do to help him check if he can get it and how much he can get?
Can I do it for him instead of him doing all this?
Sam Barker of This is Money answers: I’m sorry to hear that your mom is missing her winter pay this year.
From this winter, winter fuel prices will be tested instead of the old system of giving to all pensioners.
Your mother is one of millions of retirees lose an advantage up to £300 per annum.
In short, the good news is that your mother can still pay the Winter Fuel Payment, and you can help apply for her.
The bad news is that I suspect your mother makes too much money to qualify, but it’s still a good offer.
Winter loot: Millions of pensioners will not receive winter fuel payments from this year
Who qualifies for the winter fuel surcharge?
I’m going to put the new eligibility criteria to get the Winter Red Fee, so you can check if your mother is eligible.
These are:
- He was born on or before 22 September 1958
- He will receive the Debt Pension; International Credit; Credit Support; Income-based Employer’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance; Child tax credit or working tax credit is worth £26 in the 2024/25 tax year
- He lived in England or Wales between 16 and 22 September 2024
Clearly, your mother is old enough to qualify, and I believe she was in England and Wales for a week in September.
The qualification will be waived only if his income is too low to qualify him for any of the means tested benefits above.
If he does not claim any of the proven benefits above, he will not be able to pay the Winter Pay.
Depending on your mother’s age, the most important benefit to look at is the Income Pension, such as did not say 60 percent of retirees qualify for it.
If your mother’s weekly income is less than £218.15 a week, the Earnings Pension will increase it to that level.
The income for these purposes is his state pension, private pension and any wages he can earn.
It is likely that it will be more than £218.15 per week, so he decides not to claim Income Pension, but it is still worth checking.
But if she is eligible for Pension Certificate, then she will automatically get Winter Wife Pay.
Our guide to claiming Earned Pension here.
You’ll have to hurry though, as the cut off date for applying and receiving this winter’s discount is December 21st.
If he can’t get Pension Credit then it’s still worth checking that he doesn’t get any other benefits on the list, but I don’t think this has anything to do with his age.
How much does winter fuel cost?
Your mother could get £300 in Red Pay for Winter – and she could do it.
For singles, £200 for those born between 23 September 1944 and 22 September 1958.
It costs £300 if you were born before 23 September 1944, and if your mother is over 84 and was born around 1940.
Can I claim a Pension number for someone else?
Yes, it is possible to claim Pension Credit for someone else, opening the door to receiving Winter Spouse Pay.
But you must first register with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which administers the Pension and Winter Payments account.
You can do this if your mother is too disabled or mentally ill to take care of herself.
You can register as a candidate by contacting the DWP, here.
However, it will usually take up to 12 weeks for someone from the DWP to come to visit your mother.
This means that the winter payment will be lost entirely for this winter.
