A Winter Fuel Payment can provide important support to older people in the colder months of the year. The payment is between £100 and £300 and is specifically dedicated to assist with heating bills - vital for some as the cost of energy skyrockets. The payment is issued between November and December, meaning it could be just days until eligible individuals receive their sum. 

In fact, the Government actively encourages individuals to check if they could be eligible for a Cold Weather Payment or the Warm Home Discount scheme.

There are also other circumstances which may bar a person from the Winter Fuel Payment scheme, and as such, it is important to check.

Firstly, individuals will not qualify if they are in hospital in receipt of free treatment for more than a year.

Next, if a person was in prison for the whole of the qualifying week, they will not be able to get a Winter Fuel Payment. 

The Government informs Britons they will not need to claim Winter Fuel Payment, usually.

People tend to get this payment automatically if they are eligible, but may need to claim if they have not received a payment before and do not get benefits or a state pension, or only receive Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Child Benefit or Universal Credit.

A Winter Fuel Payment can be claimed either by phone or by post with the full details contained on the Government website. 

Britons will need to have certain details to hand in order to support their claim for a Winter Fuel Payment.

These are: 

• National Insurance number
• Bank or building society details
• BIC and IBAN numbers if one lives in an EEA country or Switzerland
• The date an individual was married or entered into a civil partnership (if appropriate)