Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has announced a £17 million fund to support pensioners who have lost eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment due to recent UK government changes.

The one-off £100 payment will be automatically issued to an estimated 250,000 pensioners in around 170,000 households before the end of March 2025. Eligibility criteria will be based on previous WFP eligibility.

Minister Lyons expressed disappointment at the UK government's decision to limit the Winter Fuel Payment to means-tested benefits and welcomed the additional funding to support affected pensioners.

Minister Lyons said: "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."

The eligibility criteria for the one-off fuel support payment will be the same applied to the Winter Fuel Payment before the changes announced by the UK government. This means pensioners must have been born before 23 September 1958 in the qualifying week (Monday 16 September to Sunday 22 September 2024) to be eligible for the one-off £100 payment. There will be one payment for pensioner household affected by the Winter Fuel Payment changes. No application is required and payments will be made by the same method as Winter Fuel Payments.

Minister Lyons continued: "Whilst I hope this payment will go some way to supporting those pensioners affected by the changes to WFPs, I recognise that it will not fully mitigate its impact so I am encouraging everyone to check their benefit entitlement.

"Just last week, I announced an uptake in additional benefits of £62million in 2023/24 through my Department's Make the Call service, £21.3million of which went to pensioners.

"This free and confidential service puts people in touch with support to which they may be entitled but have not been claiming. Pension Credit in particular, can provide access to a range of other supports and benefits which can be a lifeline for our older generations.

"My Department will continue its Pension Credit promotional activities with applications having increased by 56 per cent during August to October from the corresponding period last year.

"A Pension Credit claim can be made online, by telephone or post, and people can use the Pension Credit calculator online to check their potential entitlement.

"I want to ensure that all available support and entitlements go directly to those who most need them so would encourage everyone to 'make the call'."