Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether pensioners who qualify for pension credit after 22 September 2024 and before 31 December 2024 are entitled to receive the winter fuel payment during winter 2024-25.

A claim for Pension Credit may be backdated for up to three months as long as the entitlement conditions are met during that period. This means that a pensioner who was eligible for, but had not claimed, Pension Credit during the qualifying week for the Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2024-25 (16 to 22 September 2024) can still qualify for the payment if they make a successful backdated application for Pension Credit by 21 December 2024.