Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has announced an allocation of £17 million from the Executive will go towards one-off fuel support payments for pensioners that are no longer eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment.
The new Labour Government have changed the Winter Fuel Payment so it is now means-tested, meaning approximately 170,000 households in Northern Ireland will no longer receive it.
This one-off payment of £100 will be made automatically to those households before the end of March 2025.
“Since the unwelcome and unexpected decision by the UK government to limit Winter Fuel Payments to those in receipt of Pension Credit and other means tested benefits, I have sought to secure fuel support for affected pensioners so I welcome the £17million allocation.
– Gordon Lyons MLA, Communities Minister
“My Department will use these funds to provide a one-off £100 payment to pensioners no longer eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment.
“Having previously tasked my officials with readying the relevant legislation in the event of a funding allocation, I expect the payment to be made automatically before the end of March 2025.”
To receive the one-off payment, pensioners must be over 66 years old in the qualifying week (Monday 16 September to Sunday 22 September 2024) and not be eligible to receive the Winter Fuel Payment.
The Department for Communities estimates that 58,000 pensioners will receive the Winter Fuel Payment, totalling approximately £14.5 million in 2024/25.
