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Millions of Pensioners to Receive Winter Fuel Payments in November
22 Aug
Summary
- 9 million pensioners in England and Wales to get winter heating aid
- Payments of £200 or £300 per household to be made automatically
- Payments to be clawed back from those with income over £35,000
The UK government has announced a significant expansion of its Winter Fuel Payments scheme, which will now provide assistance to around 9 million pensioners in England and Wales starting this November.
According to the latest details from the Department of Work and Pensions, approximately 80% of pensioners in the two countries will receive the support. Eligible households will automatically receive either £200 or £300 towards their winter heating bills, with the payments set to be made in November or December.
However, the government has also introduced a new clawback mechanism for the scheme. Individuals whose annual income exceeds £35,000 will have the payment recovered through the tax system, unless they opt out by the September 15 deadline. For those still on the PAYE system, the repayment will be automatically deducted from their tax code.
The automatic nature of the payments is crucial, as authorities have warned of scammers trying to take advantage by offering bogus "bonus" claims. Officials have stressed that no application is necessary to receive the assistance.
The Winter Fuel Payment is a long-standing government program aimed at helping the elderly cope with the costs of heating their homes during the colder months. This year's expansion comes after the government faced widespread criticism over proposed eligibility changes that would have excluded millions of pensioners.
