Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has confirmed that pensioners in Northern Ireland will receive the Winter Fuel Payment this year, following a recent government reversal on eligibility restrictions.

In a statement to the Assembly, Minister Lyons announced that he had engaged with Executive colleagues to reinstate the payment, with the necessary legislation anticipated to be in place by the end of July.

Pensioners with an income at or below £35,000 will be entitled to a £200 payment, which will rise to £300 for those aged over 80. While a payment will be made to all pensioners, individuals not meeting the income threshold will have the option to opt out or will have the payment recovered through HMRC.

Minister Lyons acknowledged the ongoing concerns among older residents. "I know that many of our pensioners are still anxious and worried about what yesterday's statement means for them," he said. "Therefore, I have acted quickly, to provide clarity and certainty about what will happen to the Winter Fuel Payment in Northern Ireland."

He confirmed recent engagements with officials from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Treasury, and the Finance Minister John O'Dowd to understand the implications for Northern Ireland. His officials are continuing to work with DWP and HMRC to ascertain the precise number of Northern Ireland pensioners affected, particularly those exceeding the £35,000 income threshold. Last July, the Labour government had restricted eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments to pensioner households receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits, a decision strongly opposed by Minister Lyons and the wider Executive. To mitigate the impact of these changes for winter 2024/25, Minister Lyons secured £17 million in Executive funding last October, enabling a one-off £100 payment to be made to affected pensioners.

"Almost 250,000 payments were issued, as promised, to most Northern Ireland pensioners by the end of March 2025," Minister Lyons stated. "While this one-off payment helped to support pensioners last winter, I know that many of them remained anxious and worried about their energy bills this winter and beyond. I therefore welcome Treasury's announcement yesterday to reinstate the Winter Fuel Payment to everyone over State Pension age with an income of, or below, £35,000 a year. This increased threshold means that no lower or middle-income pensioners will miss out."

Minister Lyons also issued a warning to the public regarding potential scams emerging in the wake of the announcement. He stressed that payments will be made automatically, consistent with previous Winter Fuel Payments, and individuals will not be asked for personal or bank details.

"Pensioners do not need to do anything to receive the Winter Fuel Payment this year," Minister Lyons concluded. "If anyone gets a suspicious email or text from GOV.UK, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or the Department for Communities asking for bank details, they should report it to Action Fraud. They should not respond or click on any links."