THOUSANDS of Scots eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment will receive letters next month following the end of the “qualifying week”.
The grant is given to eligible pensioner households to help pay for heating costs over the coldest months.
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To qualify for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment, you must have an active claim for Universal Credit (or other means-tested benefits) during the “qualifying week”, which ran from September 16 to 22.
But thanks to a little-known loophole, the absolute deadline to claim the benefit and qualify for the payment is October 18.
This is because new claims for Universal Credit can be backdated by one month.
Eligible households will receive a letter in October or November telling them how much Winter Fuel Payment they will get.
If you do not get a letter but think you are eligible, you should check if you need to make a claim.
Any money you get is tax-free and will not affect your other benefits.
CHECK IF YOU QUALIFY
Universal Credit is a monthly payment to help with your living costs.
To claim, you typically need to:
- Live in the UK
- Be aged 18 or over
- Be under State Pension age (unless you’re part of a mixed-aged couple)
- Have £16,000 or less in money, savings and investments
- How much money you’ll get depends on your personal circumstances, but the monthly standard award is £393.45 for a single person over 25 and £617.60 for a couple who are both over that age.
If you have a disability or health condition, or if your child does, there are extra top ups you can get in your Universal Credit award.
If you rent, you can also get help towards those costs and any service fees you might pay.
You can apply for Universal Credit online by visiting the UK Government website.
We told how hard-up families could also receive an extra payment to help with the cost of buying winter clothes as we head into the colder months.
