The three DWP deadlines coming before Christmas and why you need to act to secure up to £460
THREE major deadlines are coming up before Christmas which could open up payments worth hundreds of pounds.
The cost of living remains high with energy bills rising for millions of UK households at the start of this month.
Luckily, there is help at hand, including the Winter Fuel Payment, Warm Home Discount and Christmas Bonus.
But there are some crucial deadlines you need to be aware of if you want to snap up the payments worth potentially £460.
One is coming within weeks too so you should act as soon as possible.
November 10 – deadline to backdate Pension Credit to get the Warm Homes Discount
The Warm Homes Discount (WHD) is a discount on your energy bills worth £150 each winter.
The money is not paid to you but is a one-off deduction applied between October and March.
In most cases, it is made automatically although households in Scotland have to apply.
To qualify for the help, you need to have been in receipt of the guaranteed credit element of Pension Credit or a different qualifying benefit from the list below on August 11:
- Income support
- Income based jobseeker’s allowance
- Income related employment and support allowance
- Housing benefit
- Universal Credit
- Child tax credit
- Working tax credits
- The “savings credit” part of Pension Credit
If you weren’t claiming any of the above benefits on August 11, 2024, you won’t be eligible for the WHD this year.
However, the same August date does not apply if you are receiving the guarantee credit element of Pension Credit.
This is because you can backdate a Pension Credit claim by up to three months while the other benefits in the list above can only be backdated by up to one month.
That means you have until the end of Sunday, November 10 to launch a claim and get the £150 rebate.
Pension Credit is a benefit that tops up your weekly income to a minimum amount if you are on a low income and of state pension age, currently 66.
There are two parts to the benefit – Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit.
Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15 if you are single or your joint weekly income to £332.95 if you have a partner.
Savings Credit is extra money you get if you have some savings or your income is above the basic full state pension amount – £169.50.
December 2 – deadline for Christmas Bonus
The Christmas bonus is a tax-free £10 payment made once per year to cover some of the additional costs associated with Christmas.
The payment is made by the DWP before December 25 and can come in handy.
However, the £10 payment is only made to those in receipt of certain qualifying benefits. The full list of benefits is:
- Adult Disability Payment
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Carer Support Payment
- Child Disability Payment
- Constant Attendance Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
- Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (once the main phase of the benefit is entered after the first 13 weeks of claim)
- Disability Living Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
- Industrial Death Benefit (for widows or widowers)
- Mobility Supplement
- Pension Credit – the guarantee element
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
- Severe Disablement Allowance (transitionally protected)
- Unemployability Supplement or Allowance (paid under
- Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
- War Disablement Pension at State Pension age
- War Widow’s Pension
- Widowed Mother’s Allowance
- Widowed Parent’s Allowance
- Widow’s Pension
You will need to have been receiving one of the above benefits in the qualifying week to receive the £10 payment.
This year, that week is the first full week of December, which starts on December 2, so you will need to claim one of the above benefits by this date to qualify for the £10 Christmas Bonus.
If you want to find out if you qualify for one of the above benefits, you can use a number of free calculators.
The three main online calculators you can use are:
December 21 – deadline for backdated Pension Credit to get the Winter Fuel Payment
The Government has made the Winter Fuel Payment means-tested which means only those on certain benefits qualify for the up to £300 payment this year.
Rather than it being open to anyone of state pension age, you now only receive it if you were receiving Pension Credit or one of the below benefits by September 22:
- Universal Credit
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income Support
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
However, again, you can backdate your Pension Credit claim by up to three months meaning you still have time to qualify for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment.
That means the ultimate deadline to qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment is December 21, not September 22.
The Winter Fuel Payment, which is usually paid by Christmas, is worth up to £300 depending on your circumstances.
If you were born before September 23, 1944, you will get £300 while those born between September 23, 1944, and September 22, 1958, will receive £200.
Crucial to claim Pension Credit if you can
HUNDREDS of thousands of pensioners are missing out on Pension Credit.
The Sun’s Assistant Consumer Editor Lana Clements explains why it’s imperative to apply for the benefit..
Pension Credit is designed to top up the income of the UK’s poorest pensioners.
In itself the payment is a vital lifeline for older people with little income.
It will take weekly income up to to £218.15 if you’re single or joint income to £332.95.
Yet, an estimated 800,000 don’t claim this support. Not only are they missing on this cash, but far more extra support that is unlocked when claiming Pension Credit.
With the winter fuel payment – worth up to £300 now being restricted to pensioners claiming Pension Credit – it’s more important than ever to claim the benefit if you can.
Pension Credit also opens up help with housing costs, council tax or heating bills and even a free TV licence if you are 75 or older.
All this extra support can make a huge difference to the quality of life for a struggling pensioner.
It’s not difficult to apply for Pension Credit, you can do it up to four months before you reach state pension age through the government website or by calling 0800 99 1234.
You’ll just need your National Insurance number, as well as information about income, savings and investments.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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