Latest news with #WinterFuelPayments
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Date set for when £300 DWP Winter Fuel Payment will arrive in accounts
The one-off payment will be made in November or December for those who are eligible - but some may need to make a claim to receive it. Here how the system works The Department for Work and Pensions has released further details about this year's Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners. This grant, which can be up to £300, is designed to assist the elderly with their heating costs. The DWP has announced that pensioners wishing to claim this year's payment can do so by post from September 15 and over the phone from October 15. The Government stresses that Winter Fuel Payments will be automatically distributed to approximately nine million individuals in England and Wales, though some may need to apply. Pensioners born before 22 September 1959 will receive between £100 and £300 during November and December, but they will be notified by letter beforehand detailing exactly how much they will get. The website specifies two particular groups of people who may need to claim the money, but it's crucial to note that this can only be done by post or over the phone. It's important to be aware that if you receive a text or an email instructing you to claim by clicking on a link or dialling a number, it's a scam. The DWP has already issued warnings via social media about these fraudulent messages, urging pensioners to report them, reports the Daily Record. Check if you need to make a claim The DWP states that most people will automatically receive the Winter Fuel Payment if they are eligible during the qualifying week, which is 15 - 21 September 2025. You don't need to claim if you receive any of the following: State Pension Pension Credit Universal Credit Attendance Allowance Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Carer's Allowance Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Income Support income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) awards from the War Pensions Scheme Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Incapacity Benefit Industrial Death Benefit You'll need to put in a claim if any of the following conditions apply: you've not had the Winter Fuel Payment before you've deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment If your taxable income exceeds £35,000, HMRC will claw back your Winter Fuel Payment via the tax system. If you'd rather not receive it, you can choose to opt out of the Winter Fuel Payment. Eligible individuals will receive a letter around October or November detailing the amount they're due to get. The majority of those eligible should expect payment in November or December 2025. How to claim Here's how you can claim your Winter Fuel Payment: post - from September 15, 2025 phone - from October 13, 2025 The cut-off date for winter 2025 to 2026 claims is March 31, 2026. Comprehensive instructions on how to claim by post or phone are available on
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
DWP opens up applications for free £300 payment for UK households
Winter Fuel Payments are worth £200 per household, or £300 per household where there is someone aged 80 or over. But you need to claim if you're not on any of the benefits listed. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that applications for the Winter Fuel Payment will open in September 2025. The DWP is inviting pensioners who need to claim to apply for the £300 payments. From September 15, 2025, OAPs needing to claim this year's Winter Fuel Payment can do so by post, and from October 15, 2025, they can make their claims over the phone. This is an annual payment to help people with heating costs during the winter months. With the current cost of living, every little helps. Around nine million people will automatically receive allowances. However, the DWP has highlighted two specific groups who may need to claim, emphasising that this can only be done via post or phone. If you're receiving any of the following benefits, there's no need to claim: State Pension, Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Carer's Allowance, Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Income Support, and income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), awards from the War Pensions Scheme, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Incapacity Benefit, and DWP Industrial Death Benefit are also included, reports Birmingham Live. However, if you're not receiving any of these benefits, you'll need to claim if either of the following applies: you've never received the Winter Fuel Payment before OR you've deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment. You can claim the Winter Fuel Payment by post from September 15, 2025, or by phone from October 13, 2025. The deadline for winter 2025 to 2026 claims is March 31, 2026. To qualify, individuals must have attained State Pension age by the end of the eligibility week. Winter Fuel Payments are valued at £200 per household, or £300 for households with a member aged 80 or above. If the applicant's income is over £35,000, HMRC will take back the Winter Payment through the tax system, the website explained. People also have the option to opt out if they wish not to receive it. The Labour Party government has stated that shared payments will be made to pensioners not receiving an income-related benefit. This initiative aims to provide older citizens who may not be eligible, but still struggle to over any basic living expenses and therefore require some additional financial support.
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
DWP announces exact date pensioners can claim Winter Fuel Payment worth £300
Winter Fuel Payments will be issued by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to people who were born before September 22, 1959 The exact date pensioners will be able to claim their Winter Fuel Payment worth up to £300 has been confirmed. Winter Fuel Payments will be issued by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to people who were born before September 22, 1959. Most people will receive their Winter Fuel Payment automatically. You will receive the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if you are claiming one of these benefits during the qualifying week, which is September 15 to 21, 2025: State Pension Pension Credit Universal Credit Attendance Allowance Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Carer's Allowance Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Income Support income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) Awards from the War Pensions Scheme Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Incapacity Benefit Industrial Death Benefit But there are two groups that will need to put in a claim by post or over the phone If you do not claim any of these benefit, then you will need to claim your Winter Fuel Payment if either of the following apply: You've not had the Winter Fuel Payment before You've deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment If you do need to claim, then it has now been confirmed that you will be able to apply by post from September 15, or by phone from October 15. There are new rules in place this year that mean some pensioners will have to pay back their Winter Fuel Payment. If you earn over £35,000 a year, then your Winter Fuel Payment will be automatically recovered by HMRC through PAYE, or through self-assessment return. You can opt out of receiving the payment if your income is over £35,000, with details to be confirmed. The income eligibility is based per person. For example, if you have two people living together and one earns £30,000 a year and the other earns £40,000, one person would keep their share of the Winter Fuel Payment but the other would pay it back. Winter Fuel Payments are worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged over 80. Your eligibility will be based on your age by the end of the qualifying week. For the last round of Winter Fuel Payments, you weren't eligible if you were in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year, were in prison during the qualifying week, or if you were living in a care home during the qualifying week. You also weren't eligible if you lived in a care home for more than 13 weeks, including the qualifying week. Labour says approximately nine million pensioners will receive Winter Fuel Payments this year. In Scotland, the Winter Fuel Payment has been replaced with a new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Winter Fuel Payment income threshold update for pensioners due up to £300
The DWP has confirmed that Winter Fuel Payments of up to £300 will be automatically issued to pensioners in November or December, with a new update on the clawback process issued The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced earlier this month that 9 million people born before September 22, 1959 will receive between £100 and £300 to assist with escalating heating costs throughout the winter period. Winter Fuel Payments will be distributed automatically to qualifying pensioners during November or December. The Scottish Government will similarly distribute payments ranging from £101.70 to £305.10 to pensioners starting in November, implementing the updated approach adopted by the DWP. Pensioners earning £35,000 or less will qualify for the one-off payment, with recipients having the option to decline or repay it via the PAYE system or Self Assessment tax return. READ MORE: DNA site that helped woman find long-lost Japanese brother is now under £30 Treasury Minister James Murray provided a fresh update regarding the clawback procedure on Thursday following Independent MP John McDonnell's inquiry about the recovery mechanism for Winter Fuel Payments distributed to higher earners. In his written statement, Mr Murray explained: "The Government announced in June 2025 that the Winter Fuel Payment will be made universal in England and Wales from winter 2025. Subsequently, the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive have confirmed that they will mirror the approach for England and Wales. "Winter Fuel Payments of £200 will be made for a household with someone of State Pension age and £300 for a household with someone aged 80 or over. They will be paid automatically to anyone who has not opted out of getting a payment." Discussing the intricacies of the income threshold, he clarified: "Individuals who are of State Pension age and have total income over £35,000 will have their Winter Fuel Payment recovered through the tax system. The amount recovered will be equal to the full value of the Winter Fuel Payment. "If a pensioner's total income is above the income threshold, it will be automatically recovered through PAYE, or through their Self-Assessment return if they pay tax that way." Mr Murray further stated: "The Government will publish further details of the operational impacts on HM Revenue and Customs of making these changes in a Tax Information and Impact Note at Budget 2025, alongside draft Finance Bill legislation on the tax recovery of the Winter Fuel Payment." Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments You're entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born on or before September 22, 1959, and reside in England or Wales. Details on Pension Age Disability Payment can be fond here. Circumstances where you won't qualify You'll be disqualified if you: live outside England and Wales were in hospital getting free treatment for the whole of the week of 15 to 21 September 2025 and the year before that need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says that you cannot claim public funds were in prison for the whole of the week of 15 to 21 September 2025 If you live in a care home While those living in care homes can receive the Winter Fuel Payment, you won't qualify if both of the following conditions are met: you get Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) you lived in a care home for the whole time from 23 June 2025 or earlier Payments DWP guidelines state: "You'll get a letter in October or November telling you how much Winter Fuel Payment you'll get, if you're eligible. If you don't receive a letter but believe you should, check whether you need to submit a claim." Be vigilant, as fraudsters may attempt to deceive you into making a claim via text message, urging you to click on a link. This is not an official DWP communication and should be disregarded. If you believe you need to make a claim, adhere to the guidance provided on here. The amount you receive depends on your date of birth and your circumstances during the 'qualifying week' of 15 to 21 September 2025. Any funds received will not impact your other benefits. If you live alone or no one in your household qualifies for the Winter Fuel Payment, you will receive either: £200 if you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959 £300 if you were born before September 22, 1945 If you live with someone else who is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment If you do not receive any of the benefits, you will receive a payment of: Pension Credit Universal Credit income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Income Support If you do not get any of the benefits You will get a payment of: £100 if you and the person you live with were both born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959 £100 if you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959 but the person you live with was born before September 22, 1945 £200 if you were born before September 22, 1945 but the person you live with was born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959 £150 if you and the person you live with were born before September 22, 1945 If you and your partner jointly claim any of the benefits One of you will get a payment of either: £200 if both of you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959 £300 if one or both of you were born before September 22, 1945 The money will be paid into the bank account your benefits are usually paid into. If you get any of the benefits (not as part of a joint claim) You will get a payment of either: £200 if you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959 £300 if you were born before September 22, 1945 If your income is more than £35,000 HMRC will take back all of your Winter Fuel Payment through either PAYE or your Self Assessment tax return. If you live in a care home If you are eligible you'll get either: £100 if you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959 £150 if you were born before September 22, 1945 When you will get paid DWP said most payments will be made automatically in November or December. You should get a letter telling you: how much you'll get which bank account it will be paid into - this is usually the same account as your State Pension or other benefits Article continues below DWP added: 'If you do not get a letter or the money has not been paid into your account by 28 January 2026, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.' Opting out of Winter Fuel Payment You can choose to opt out of getting all future Winter Fuel Payments. To opt out you need to contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre before September 15, 2025. Full details on what you will need before contacting the Winter Fuel Payment Centre can be found on here.
The National
5 days ago
- Business
- The National
I pored over John Swinney's strategy – here's what we must do now
Swinney started with a declaration of intent: 'Scotland's interests are best served only when Scotland's future is in Scotland's hands. Our nation will only fully flourish when the people of Scotland are in charge of our own destiny with independence.' He then went on to make his own personal case, arguing that he had 'steadied the ship', and that he had been able to 'restore the credibility of my party and my Government so that we could make – and importantly win – the argument for Scottish independence'. Looking at the polls, this is largely true, and Swinney is right to make the claim that under his leadership the SNP, over the past 12 months, have won 13 local government by-elections – a big shift after a 20-month period without a single victory. However, the irony is that they have achieved this by attempting to tackle the cost of living crisis, rather than focusing on independence. Swinney is right to assert the claim that: 'We restored Winter Fuel Payments for Scotland's pensioners when Labour chose to scrap them. We are taking bold action on child poverty by lifting the cruel two-child cap that pushes thousands of children into poverty – a decision which been welcomed by every anti-poverty charity in the country and which Labour, to their shame, have failed to take at a UK level.' But on other matters, the SNP's claims to be 'tackling the cost of living crisis' seem a lot weaker. For example, Swinney claims that: 'We are offering solutions to the ongoing cost of living crisis – with new policies such as the removal of peak fares on our railways. Our cost of living guarantee delivers savings for Scots that aren't available elsewhere. From council tax that is 30% lower than in England, or water bills 20% lower, or no charges for essentials like prescriptions.' But the big-ticket items, like housing and energy bills, are absent, and only this month the SNP missed a huge opportunity to back zonal energy pricing. The SNP's housing policy has made no dent in the massive urban and rural housing crisis. Swinney has steadied the ship but it is still taking water, and the sextant, compass and maps are all gone. But the point of all of this is to manage a range of constituencies, tribes and demographics, to ensure electoral survival and persuade people that, somehow, the SNP are still the only show in town and the best vehicle to achieve independence, and/or govern a pre-independent Scotland more competently than anyone else. In some ways, this is an impossible task. In other ways, this is a low bar. On the one hand, Swinney needs to manage this transition while operating within the fiscal restraints of devolution, with an overwhelmingly hostile media around him and with severe and vocal dissent from within the nationalist movement. This makes the task one that is just immersed in hostility and negativity. On the other hand, he is faced with opponents and opposition so abject and hopeless that it makes the SNP rise, Lazarus-like, over and over. Swinney has a dual task: to speak to those who want (and need) good governance and those who want movement-building. He is far better at the first than the second. His strategy, such as it is, is broadly to (re) build trust, then build an unstoppable coalition amid the rubble and decay of the debris of Late Britain for an independent Scotland. I would like to take this opportunity to examine this approach and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. Building a Coalition for Yes TO his credit, Swinney shows some humility saying: 'Our renewed unity and sense of purpose is clear for all to see, and that too is giving people confidence once again in the [[SNP]], as the leading advocates of Scottish independence. Some good and necessary first steps have been taken, but they have only brought us to the starting line.' Rather grandly, he writes: 'We are on the precipice of a new global age and that demands a bold new path for Scotland.' I don't really know what that actually means? Speaking to the opposition, he writes: 'Others speak glibly of a new direction or for the need for reform, but the change Scotland needs is more fundamental', before declaring: 'To meet the challenges of this new age, we need a Scotland that is reborn.' We do. He continues to lay out his case, arguing: 'Last time, many people gave the UK the benefit of the doubt, many believing that an incoming Labour government might put things right. But an incoming Labour government has only made things worse. 'The evidence is staring us in the face: Westminster is not working for Scotland. Life is just too difficult for too many and the UK is incapable of providing the required, essential boost to living standards.' This is self-evident, though worth re-stating, but this is where the cracks in the argument begin to emerge. At no point in this new declaration do the SNP show the intent, the resolve or the track record to offer a genuinely radical economic alternative to the neoliberalism of Labour/Conservative rule. What they have shown is some ameliorative polices to try to counter the most regressive impact of being in the Union. But that's not enough. Without many specifics, Swinney argues: 'It's therefore time for the people of Scotland to take our future into our own hands, so that we can ensure our vast energy wealth delivers tangible benefits for our people, including lower household energy bills and a more competitive business environment. So that we can create a dynamic, internationally connected economy, ensuring opportunities for all in an economy that works for all.' This is, in the words of Jonathon Shafi, 'Word Soup'. Having set out his stall, the First Minister then attempts to lay out his pathway to independence. He says: 'We have to challenge the democratic outrage that Westminster – right now – refuses to acknowledge Scotland's right to determine her own future. 'We demonstrated in 2014 that an agreed democratic referendum is the correct means to bring about that independence. And have no doubt, such a democratic, constitutional approach is necessary if our independence is to achieve domestic and international legitimacy. Something that is essential if we are to receive international recognition and a smooth return to membership of the EU.' These words, this plan, are the dividing line between those in the Yes movement, who want a new plan, a new direction, and Swinney's calculation that this is the route to take the majority of Scotland with him. The Plan SWINNEY lays out his ideas very clearly, saying: 'First, it will be a campaign designed to build the highest levels of support possible for independence as the best future for Scotland. 'I will be saying to those who voted Yes in 2014, and who have become independence supporters in the years since, that what they believed in then is just as valid today. 'They saw that Britain was fundamentally broken, that Westminster couldn't deliver on their dreams and aspirations, and what they saw has come to pass. And now it is time to do something about it. 'But I will also be urging people who were not persuaded of the merits of independence in 2014 to see the state of Britain today and take a different view.' This is all good and shouldn't be disputed by anybody. Who doesn't want to build mass support for independence? The problem, as we'll go on to in a moment, is the lack of detail, ideas or strategy on how to make that happen and to navigate the many contradictions and challenges that it entails. He continues: 'Second, that means building public pressure around Scotland's fundamental national rights. The UK parties speak of a partnership of equals, but those are empty words if Scotland does not have the ability to determine her own future. 'We are ready to turn the heat up on Westminster and its anti-democratic stance, mobilising the support, energy and the impetus of people in Scotland behind the simple idea: no ifs, no buts, Scotland has the right to choose.' This is good, and he's quite right to lay out the basic anti-democratic nature of the British state's 'offering' to Scotland. But again, the problem is the lack of detail, ideas or strategy. There may be more to come but if there was, why not lay it out here? Finally , the First Minister concludes: 'And third, I want to persuade independence supporters that the way to deliver independence is only with an emphatic SNP win in 2026 and the priority is to do that now. History tells us that only when the SNP are doing well is there any prospect of advancing on Scotland's constitutional cause. 'During the next parliament, we reach the point where there will be one million people eligible to vote who, last time around, were too young to do so or not even born. A generation has now clearly passed. 'It's time for the one change that will actually make a difference for Scotland, for the fresh start our nation needs so badly. It's time for Scotland to craft her destiny by ensuring Scotland's future is in the hands of the people of Scotland.' To be fair, framing the SNP as a 'fresh start' after 18 years in power is pretty gallus, but there is something among all of this which shines out, and which could be the centrepoint of a more dynamic strategy. Future Focused MUCH of the dismay about being trapped within the Union is the overwhelming sense of decay and decline that pervades late Britain. If this feeling reached its apogee at the death of the monarch, it can be seen daily in the appointment of ridiculous people to the House of Lords, the overarching power of the government within [[Westminster]] (as witnessed by the actions of Keir Starmer's whips' office against his own party last week) or the immersive deference inculcated by being subjects of a monarch in the 21st century. The feeling of being trapped in an ancient regime that is unreformable and corrupt at its core is overwhelming and debilitating. Beyond this fusion of cronyism and decay, though, is the reality of collapsing living standards, grotesque social inequality and elite grandeur. The response is a populist movement of the far-right that eulogises a mythical past. In among the platitudes and the normcore of Swinney's 'plan', there is an opportunity to really contrast this backward-looking Ruritania, this Britain of fossils and past-glories and relics of Empire. Countless commentators have remarked on how difficult it has become for anyone to 'imagine a better future' in timelines that seem dark and economic systems that seem all-pervasive. There is a glaring opportunity for the case to be made for a new Scotland to really address the multiple problems facing not just young people but future generations – and for this case to be made by framing Scottish independence as a future-facing project in stark contrast to broken Britain. What would that look like? It would mean really taking on the multiple problems faced by younger (and future) generations, which have been a dark inheritance passed on to them. A mammoth, impossible task? Yes, but one worth trying. Where to start? I would start with the crisis of affordable housing which is life-altering for millions of people. I would face the existential crisis of climate breakdown and create deep and radical action plans that would give hope and meaning for a liveable future. I would create the outline of what an 'ethical foreign policy' (to use Robin Cook's words) would look like for a future Scotland. I would begin to meaningfully address the crisis of social alienation and the epidemic of loneliness and mental health that has spooled out of lockdown, late capitalist anomie and digital culture, and particularly affects younger people. If these seem ridiculous, impossible or utopian ideas, that's OK. In such dark times, we need to imagine a better future beyond the confines of today. As the political philosopher Murray Bookchin said: 'The assumption that what currently exists must necessarily exist is the acid that corrodes all visionary thinking.' Framing an independent Scotland as a project for future generations would be a reset for the entire independence movement, and would require a complete overhaul of thinking. But somehow, somewhat improbably, Swinney has stumbled on an idea: "During the next parliament, we reach the point where there will be one million people eligible to vote who, last time around, were too young to do so or not even born. A generation has now clearly passed.' This has two consequences. First, we begin to sweep aside the fragile excuse that the Unionist community has hidden behind for repressing basic democracy in holding up the phrase 'for a generation' and assert that that time has passed. Second, we go to, engage with and inspire the generation that are now eligible to vote, and who are overwhelmingly pro-independence. To do this properly, and to begin to explore the generational issues I touched on, would require a break from 2014 and an effort to re-imagine the case for independence in a much more expansive timeframe. This wouldn't be another 'campaign' with slogans and attack lines, it wouldn't be a politics of resentment, it would be a politics of imagination and possibility. That Britain is in a morbid state is plain for anyone to see, but that must be contrasted with a movement that offers not just a constitutional off-ramp but an alternative to the politics of fear and resentment that activates the populist right. In this sense, we need to rethink the case for independence and recast it entirely. In the words of Marshall McLuhan: 'Most of our assumptions have outlived their uselessness.' Remaining in this Union means being engaged in the 'slow cancellation of the future'. For Scotland to be 'reborn' demands that we step out of that paradigm and away from the hyper-nostalgia and denialism that characterises the most regressive elements of British and American nationalism.
