Up to £600 will be paid out to homes with at least one occupant aged 66 or over this winter, a government minister has announced. A total of £500 in Winter Fuel Payment will be distributed in 2023 and 2024.

Yet DWP Pensions Minister Laura Trott MBE MP has also announced that households with someone aged 80 and over will receive £600. In a written response to Sir David Evennett MP, she said: "Over eight million UK households on eligible means tested benefits, including the 1.4 million pensioners currently in receipt of Pension Credit, will receive additional cost of living payments totalling up to £900 in the 2023/24 financial year.

"In addition, over eight million pensioner households will receive a £300 pensioner cost of living payment as a top up to their Winter Fuel Payment later this year increasing payments to £500 for households with someone aged 66-79 and £600 for households with someone aged 80 and over."

READ MORE: Nationwide £100 or less warning to customers with an account

On its website, the government says: "If you were born before 25 September 1957 you could get between £250 and £600 to help you pay your heating bills. Most people get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if they’re eligible. If you’re eligible, you’ll get a letter in October or November saying how much you’ll get."

The details show that you will receive £500 if you were born between September 25, 1943 and September 24, 1957. But this rises to £600 if you were born before September 25, 1943.

Most payments are given out automatically in November or December, the government says. Those who will benefit will receive a letter.

It will spell out how much a recipient will get and the bank account it will be paid into. According to data in 2021, there are more than 11 million people over the age of 65 in the UK, which gives a sense of just how many people will benefit from this help.

The government says this is usually the same account as the one to which your state pension or other benefits are sent. But note, if you get no DWP letter in October, or the money has not been paid into your account by January 26, 2024, get in touch with the Winter Fuel Payment Centre. Full details are available at GOV.UK.

To be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, you must have also lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of September 18-24, 2023. This period is called the ‘qualifying week’.

If you did not meet either of these criteria, or you live abroad, you may need to make a claim. If you have received a Winter Fuel Payment before, you do not need to claim again unless you hve deferred your State Pension or moved abroad.

What Laura Trott MP said in full

This is what the minister said in her response to the Bexleyheath and Crayford MP. "The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living which is why we are providing total support of over £94bn over 2022/23 and 2023/24 to help households and individuals with their rising bills.

"From April 2023, State Pensions, including the Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee, were increased by 10.1%, in line with prices in the year to September 2022. Over 8 million UK households on eligible means tested benefits, including the 1.4 million pensioners currently in receipt of Pension Credit, will receive additional Cost of Living Payments totalling up to £900 in the 2023/24 financial year.

"In addition, over 8 million pensioner households will receive a £300 pensioner Cost of Living Payment as a top up to their winter fuel payment later this year increasing payments to £500 for households with someone aged 66-79 and £600 for households with someone aged 80 and over. Specific statistics relating to the pensioner Cost of Living Payments are not available.

"However, the latest available winter fuel payment statistics (2021/22) show that 14,271 customers in Bexleyheath and Crayford received a winter fuel payment. We expect a similar number of customers will receive the pensioner Cost of Living Payment in 2022/23 and 2023/24.

"Pension Credit provides vital financial support to pensioners on a low income and we want all eligible pensioners to claim it. That is why we have been running a comprehensive communications campaign since April 2022.

"Earlier this year we boosted our campaign with extensive television adverts which highlighted that Pension Credit is worth £3,500 a year on average. Most recently on 17 July we launched a new and innovative Pension Credit “Invitation to Claim” trial which will involve DWP sending letters to approximately 2,500 pensioner households in 10 Local Authorities across Great Britain identified via Housing Benefit data as being most likely to be entitled to Pension Credit encouraging them to contact DWP and make a claim."