Cost of living crisis: almost 20,000 older High Peak people received help to heat homes last winter

As Britons prepare to deal with the colder months and soaring energy bills, charity Age UK said spiralling prices are making it increasingly difficult for older people to heat their homes.

The winter fuel payment is a tax-free annual benefit paid to people over pension credit age to help them with their bills as temperatures drop.

Department for Work and Pensions statistics show 18,636 older people received a winter fuel payment in 2021 – up from 18,407 the year before.

Of them, 4,751 were aged over 80, while a further 4,234 were aged 69 and under.

In Great Britain, 11.2 million payments were made last winter – up slightly on the 11.1 million made the year previous.

The winter fuel payment is made to anyone who was born on or before September 25 1956 and lived in the UK for at least one day during the qualifying week, which this year was from September 19 to 25.

The amount someone receives depends on their age, household circumstances and the benefits they received in the qualifying week.

Normal payments range between £100 and £300, but the Government uprated these by £300 for 2022-23 due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Most will be paid automatically in November and December.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said winter fuel payments are a crucial lifeline for pensioners across the country, helping low, fixed-income households keep their heating on during colder periods.