Welsh households to get £100 Winter Fuel Payment
People in Wales on Universal Credit and other working-age benefits will be offered a new one-off £100 payment to help with their energy bills this winter.
It’s all part of a £51.7m support package announced by the Welsh government in November to help low-income families meet the growing cost of living over the winter months.
The first phase of this Household Support Fund aims to reduce the impact of recent benefit cuts and the rising cost of energy. £38m has been made available for the Winter Fuel Payment with 350,000 households expected to benefit. £1.1m will also be provided as extra funding for foodbanks and community food schemes across Wales.
Who can get the Welsh Winter Fuel Payment?
The scheme will be open to Welsh households where at least one person receives one or more of the following benefits between 1st December 2021 and 31st January 2022. They must also be responsible for paying the energy bills, whether that’s on a pre-payment meter, by Direct Debit, or paying every quarter.
- Universal Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance.
The Winter Fuel Payment is separate to Cold Weather Payments which are paid by the UK government.
How to apply
If you’re eligible, your local authority will write to you directly with more details on how to get the payment. Or you can submit a claim through your local council’s website from 13th December 2021.
- All applications must be received by a local council by 18th February 2022
- Payments will be made from 13th December 2021 to 31st March 2022.
The cash will be paid straight into your bank account and won’t affect any other benefits – or be subject to tax. You don’t have to spend it on energy, but the Welsh government hopes it will help households manage their energy bills this winter.
If you’re experiencing severe financial hardship, you may also be able to make a claim to the Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF).