Older state pensioners handed automatic £300 instead of Winter Fuel Payment

Older state pensioners in one part of the UK are being handed automatic payments of up to £300 instead of the Winter Fuel Payment .

The money is to help with food, energy and essential costs this winter , with more money available from local councils in other parts of the country. The payment comes as part of the government’s Household Support Fund which provides local councils across England with a share of a funding pot worth £742 million. The fund helps vulnerable homes pay for essential living costs over the cold winter months, including energy bills, food and other essentials. The funding is allocated from now until March 31, 2026, and local councils independently decide how to share the cash, so depending on where you live, there may be different criteria to qualify for the