Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the (a) potential merits and (b) cost of expanding eligibility for winter fuel payments to those reaching state pension age in winter 2023-24.

An individual is entitled to a winter fuel payment if they have reached State Pension age by the end of the 'qualifying week', which has been defined in law since 1999 as the week beginning on the third Monday in September.

This is to allow time to check eligibility, make the calculations (which in some cases include an assessment of household formation as well as date of birth and place of residence), and make payments as far as possible before Christmas.

In 2023, the number of people who claimed State Pension between the end of the qualifying week (25 September) and Christmas (data available to 17 December) was 158,803.

Source: Power BI