The DWP has announced the date people need to check their bank accounts for the Winter Fuel Payment.

The payment, which is worth up to £600 this year to put towards energy bills, is distributed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and most people will receive it automatically.

Payments began in November, and the majority of individuals should receive the funds in their bank accounts by January 13. However, if someone believes they are eligible and hasn’t received the payment by then, the DWP said people should wait until January 26 before contacting the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.

More than 11.4 million payments were made last year, including 36,000 to expats living abroad.

The money will appear in bank statements with the payment reference starting with the customer’s National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP WFP’ for people in Great Britain, or ‘DFC WFP’ for people in Northern Ireland.

Who is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment?

People can get a Winter Fuel Payment if they were born before September 25, 1957.

They usually need to live in the UK, but in some circumstances, people can qualify if they live abroad.

People can also qualify for the payment if they live in a care home, provided that both of the following do not apply:

• They get Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• They lived in a care home for the whole time from June 26 to September 24, 2023.

People will also not be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment if:

• They have been in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
• They need permission to enter the UK and their granted leave says they cannot claim public funds
• They were in prison for the whole of the week of September 18 to September 24, 2023.

This year’s Winter Fuel Payment has been boosted to values up to £600 because it includes the Government’s Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, which is worth up to £300.

When contacting the Winter Fuel Payment Center, the DWP says people will need to tell them personal details, such as their name, address, date of birth, and National Insurance number.

People can either call the helpline on 0800 731 0160 or send a letter by post. The full contact details can be found here.