HOUSEHOLDS should be aware of these exact dates to help figure out how much money they will get to help with energy bills this winter.

The Winter Fuel Payment is a state benefit paid once a year to pensioners to help cover the cost of heating during colder months.

1

The government handout was previously available to everyone aged above 66 and helped with pricey energy costs.

However, Chancellor Rachel Reeves revealed earlier this year the cash would only be given to retirees on pension credit, or other means-tested benefits.

Those who qualify will receive a payment of either £200 or £300.

It is worth noting the amount you receive depends on the year you were born.

For example, if you live alone you will get £200 if you were born between September 23 1944 and September 22 1958.

But you will get £300 if you were born before 23 September 1944.

If you and your partner jointly claim any of the benefits, one of you will get a payment of either:

• £200 if one or both of you were born between September 23 1944 and September 22 1958
• £300 if one or both of you were born before September 23 1944

For those who live with a partner or spouse of pension age, the individual amount is split between you.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has said pensioners will get a letter in either October or November to inform them of how much Winter Fuel Payment they will get.

Who is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment

You will receive the Winter Fuel Payment if you are aged 66 or above and on any of the following benefits.

• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

It is worth noting that around 800,000 older ­people risk missing out on the £300 Winter Fuel Payment because they have not first registered for Pension Credit.

The benefit is a weekly payment from the government to those over the state pension age who have an income below a certain level.

If your claim is successful then the benefit will top up your income to £218.15 a week if you are single, or £11,343.80 a year.

It will also give you access to the Winter Fuel Payment.

What is the Winter Fuel Payment?

Advertisement

Consumer reporter Sam Walker explains all you need to know about the payment.

The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual tax-free benefit designed to help cover the cost of heating through the colder months.

Most who are eligible receive the payment automatically.

Those who qualify are usually told via a letter sent in October or November each year.

If you do meet the criteria but don’t automatically get the Winter Fuel Payment, you will have to apply on the government’s website.

Advertisement

You’ll qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment this winter if:

• you were born on or before September 23, 1958
• you lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of September 16 to 22, 2024, known as the “qualifying week”
• you receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit, ESA, JSA, Income Support, Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit

If you did not live in the UK during the qualifying week, you might still get the payment if both the following apply:

• you live in Switzerland or a EEA country
• you have a “genuine and sufficient” link with the UK social security system, such as having lived or worked in the UK and having a family in the UK

But there are exclusions – you can’t get the payment if you live in Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain.

This is because the average winter temperature is higher than the warmest region of the UK.

You will also not qualify if you:

• are in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
• need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave states that you can not claim public funds
• were in prison for the whole “qualifying week”
• lived in a care home for the whole time between 26 June to 24 September 2023, and got Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Payments are usually made between November and December, with some made up until the end of January the following year.

You will need to have been claiming Pension Credit in the ‘qualifying week’ of September 16 to 22, 2024.

But claims can be backdated by three months meaning you have until December 21 to make a claim and still get the Winter Fuel Payment.

If you want to check your eligibility then it is worth checking out our article here.

You can also find free-to-use online benefits calculators to work out what you’re entitled to.

For example, Age UK has an online calculator which helps you work out what benefits you could be entitled to including the Winter Fuel Payment and Pension Credit.

According to the site it takes 10 minutes to complete and you will need the following information:

• Your savings
• Your income, including your partner’s if you have one
• Any benefits or pensions you’re already claiming, including anyone you’re living with.

The calculator is free to use and confidential.

Help at hand

The Sun has launched a ­Winter Fuel SOS campaign to help thousands of pensioners worried about their energy bills.

We want to hear from you by phone or email — and it’s fine if you are calling or messaging on behalf of a friend or relative.

Our panel includes former ­pensions minister Sir Steve Webb, pensions expert Baroness Ros ­Altmann and consumer champion Martyn James.

They will be joined by The Sun’s Head of Consumer Tara Evans and Sun Savers Editor Lana ­Clements.

And even if you aren’t eligible for the payment, our team will be ­sharing tips on how to switch energy providers and save money, get help if you’re in debt or simply need to save this winter.

Your cases will be considered by our panel, who will aim to give you advice within one week of your call or email.

Caroline Abrahams, of the charity Age UK, said: “People often think if you have some savings or a small ­pension there’s no point applying for Pension Credit, but that’s often not the case.

“Don’t be put off by the forms — Age UK can help.”

A PUB is selling pints for as little as £2.60 – but punters have to stick to a strict set of rules or face being kicked out.

The Abbey, located in Derbyshire near the banks of the River Derwent, re-opened last week after a five-year hiatus.

8

8

Advertisement

8

Sessions at the boozer are focused on enjoying a cheap drink and, according to landlady Fiona Ashley, “the old fashioned art of conversation”.

Fiona and her husband Nathan have bold reminders pinned to the walls and even on beer mats that state: “We are a digital detox pub.”

Other signs at the hostelry in historic Darley Abbey, on the outskirts of Derby, warn: “Use of mobiles, laptops and other digital devices are not allowed.”

Other notices include “No swearing – zero tolerance”, and “Beer and conversation encouraged”.

When The Sun visited the pub – which is set in a former monastery’s sleeping quarters – not one person was seen daring to break the rules.

Food is yet to be introduced, but the busy lunchtime crowd seemed content simply having a drink and chatting, with many even making new friends.

Customers all raised a glass to the ban on phones.

Other bans include no TV, no dogs, no taking photos inside – and children are only allowed in if they are having a meal with adults.

When our reporter asked Fiona and Nathan – affectionately knowns as Fee and Nath – to pose at the bar pulling a pint, they looked horrified, and replied in unison: “No!”

The mum-of-four explained: “There’s no photos allowed inside… You can’t even take a sneaky picture.”

8

Advertisement

8

Fiona added: “It’s a strict pub, probably the strictest in the country but it makes it more pleasant!”

For those people too shy to talk there’s a range of popular board games to play, plus darts.

The pub boasts a cosy downstairs bar with a roaring fire and a huge bar upstairs with a dining area set off by exposed 15th century brickwork.

Teaching assistant Zoe Heslop from Belper, Derbyshire, said: “This is an iconic pub and we’re pleased it’s finally re-opened after being closed for five years.

“But I’m not sure I like being told what to do, and not to use my phone, but those are the rules so I’ll go with the flow.

“It makes you realise how much you rely on your mobile so it’s good to put it away.

“It’s nice not to hear the ring, ring or ping, ping of texts. It’s very refreshing.”

Zoe, 50, was sipping a lemonade while her boyfriend Seton Watson went to the upper bar to get a pint of Alpine lager – for a bargain £2.60.

She said: “My automatic reaction was to get my phone out but I can’t!”

Instead she got chatting to stranger Tommy Dowd, a double glazing company boss, who had popped in for a pint.

IT consultant Seton, 53, agreed the phone ban was “a good idea,” saying: “We all use our mobiles too much.

“We were aware of the ban when we came in but didn’t know how seriously they took it.

8

8

“Anyone caught using a mobile will be thrown out. Those are the rules so it’s fair enough.”

Local Tommy, 39, a former regular at the refurbished pub before a chimney fire closed it down, recalled: “In the good old days you could use your phone and bring your dog in but not any more.

“I get the no phones, and I’ve put mine on silent, but it’s a shame you cant bring dogs into the bar downstairs because it’s such a lovely area for dog walking and I reckon they’ll lose a lot of customers.”

He added: “The beer’s pretty cheap, not as cheap as Wetherspoon, but the building is impressive and full of character.”

Kevin Eley, an electronics engineer from Burton upon Trent, was enjoying a pint with his dad Paul Eley, a retired consultant engineer, and his father-in-law Ian Holden-Smith, a retired brewery manager.

Kevin said: “I agree with the ban on mobiles. People should be talking to each other, not into their phones.”

His dad chipped in: “It’s a brilliant idea. I’ve been coming to this pub for years before it closed, it’s a great place and the ban won’t put people off, as long as they’d swear about it!”

Ian added: “It’s the first time I’ve heard of a phone ban in a pub so people better get used to it.

“The beer prices are very fair here, much cheaper then when we were in Devon the other week where is was £6.30 a pint.”

Lizzie Mazza, a learning co-ordinator, was having a drink with her mum.

She said: “Having no phone is so good and refreshing.

“People should be making conversation. You come to a pub to chat not call up your mates.”

Former beauty therapist Lizzie, 34, added: “I’m in two minds about the dog ban but all for the no phones and no swearing.

“It’s a lovely old pub with a lot of charm and heritage and the brewery boss sets the rules. Yes, they’re strict and he may be a bit of a control freak but he’s doing a good job.”

Fiona and Nathan, who are both trained chefs and looking forward to introducing meals this month, refer to themselves as “caretakers” of the pub not managers.

Fiona, a gran, said: “We are taking care of the pub. It’s such a warm and cosy place and we live right next door.”

The former chef added: “It was always Nigel’s dream to run a pub and I’m supporting his dream.

“He saw an advert and we had a an interview with the main man, Sam Smith. We must have impressed him because we got the job.

“We love the fact there is a ban on anything digital and so do most of our customers. If we see people breaking the rules and on their phones we’ll politely show them to the door.

“Now people sitting around a table talk to each other and tables talk.

“It is wonderful to hear conversation and not someone shouiting down their phone or looking at social media.

“The other night a father and son came in, they sat down with a pint and played a game of Scrabble. A lady comes in on her own and she sits by the window reading a book.

“The best thing is hearing the old fashioned art of conversation!”

Nathan, who admitted he has to switch his phone off and hide it away to stop him from mistakenly using it, said: “Banning phones encourages customers to have a conversation.

“It’s an old fashioned place and you come in and find yourself in a different world away from digital.”

8

The Abbey is owned by millionaire chairman Sam Smith, 79, from Tadcaster in North Yorkshire.

He is renowned for imposing his unique rules on his premises.

Local councillor Martin Repton, who had been campaigning for the pub’s reopening, wrote: “Many hundreds of people are talking about their excitement.

“It’s an integral part of our community. It is of immense national importance, and I am just excited to hear it is back.

“I met with the new managers and I am sure they will do an amazing job.”

Fiona pointed out that when it re-opened, the original pub sign – which had been swiped by a group of locals dressed as monks – was mysteriously returned.

She said: “It’s the same old sign with one side still authentic, the other side restored.

“That’s worth a picture on your phone and it’s allowed because it’s outside!”

A MAJOR UK banking app is down causing chaos for customers.

Scores of users rushed online to complain they were unable to access online banking services.

2

2

Advertisement

The Royal Bank of Scotland said they were experiencing “connection issues”.

An online post reads: “We have been receiving reports that the online banking and mobile app are experiencing connection issues.

“We are currently looking into getting this resolved.

“Thanks so much for your patience. We’re sorry for any inconvenience. Please try again later.”

Customer trying to access their accounts online were met with a message telling them: “Some kind of error has occurred.”

The app advises several steps to resolve the issue including checking Wi-Fi and ensuring the latest version of the app is installed.

However the tech gremlin has caused upset with bank users as they vented their frustration online.

One said: “So frustrating when it’s a Saturday and no local branch is open.”

Another said: “RBS is definitely having issues. I can’t sign into online banking or the app.”

A third added: “Smashing… full morning away to s**t thanks to the RBS app.”

The Royal Bank of Scotland was asked for comment.

It comes just over a month after similar issues on the RBS online banking service.

More to follow…

For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Scottish Sun.

Thescottishsun.co.uk is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thescottishsun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheScottishSun.

ALDI and Lidl have confirmed the relaunch of their popular wooden toy range with prices starting at just £1.99.

The budget supermarket toys are a perfect gift for this year’s Christmas.

5

5

Advertisement

5

5

Lidl’s wooden range is expected to arrive in stores across the UK from October 17 with Aldi’s range available from October 10.

Aldi has announced that they’re bringing back over 50 products to choose from, but shoppers will have to act quickly after their range sold out last year.

Parents will be eager to get their hands on the returning favourites including the Wooden Toy Kitchen, scanning at the tills for £34.99.

The discount retailer chain is also bringing back the wooden Cuthbert which previously caused a stir with M&S fans.

In 2021 M&S lodged an infringement claim against Aldi arguing the chocolate cake was too similar to its classic Colin the Caterpillar which has been around for 30 years with an unchanged design.

But Cuthbert returned to shelves in February last year after the two supermarkets called a truce in an agreed settlement. 

To complete the kitchen experience, Aldi’s Wooden Kitchen Set (£9.99) includes coffee cups, a teapot and coasters.

This Christmas, Aldi’s range includes travel-friendly toys such as the Toy Roleplay Bag costing just £9.99.

The item features a Paramedic and Dentist Set, which allows your children to roleplay their dream jobs.

Aldi is also introducing the New Wooden Horse Box and Beauty Station, scanning for £24.99 each.

Here’s a list of all the wooden toys available this year:

• Wooden Climbing Slide and Arch (£39.99)
• Wooden Climbing Triangle and Cube (£54.99)
• Three Storey Wooden Dolls House (£39.99)
• Wooden Toy Kitchen (£34.99)
• Wooden Bike and Rocker (£24.99) 
• Wooden Aldi Supermarket/Market Stall (£29.99)  
• Wooden Horsebox/Beauty Station (£24.99) 
• Wooden Double-Sided Easel (£24.99) 
• Wooden Hospital/ Airport/ Zoo (£24.99)
• Wooden Castle/ Construction Sets (£24.99) 
• Wooden Washing Machine/Fridge (£19.99)
• Wooden Tabletop Assortment (£19.99 
• Interactive Dog/Cat (£19.99)
• Wooden Baby Walker (£19.99) 
• Wooden Fold Out Playsets (£19.99)
• Wooden Activity Tree (£16.99)
• Wooden Railway Sets (£14.99)
• Wooden Dolls House Furniture (£14.99)
• Wooden Doll Accessories (£11.99)
• Wooden Toy Roleplay Bags (£9.99)
• Wooden Kettle/Coffee/Hot Chocolate/Cleaning Set (£9.99)
• Wooden Kids Tool Belts (£9.99)
• Wooden Kitchen Appliances (£9.99)
• Wooden Play Food/Food Role Play Sets (£9.99) 
• Wooden Fold Out Vehicles (£9.99)
• Wooden Animal Train (£9.99) 
• Play Mat Sets (£9.99)
• Wooden Large Vehicles (£9.99)
• Wooden Doll Care Accessory Sets (£9.99)
• Wooden Kitchen Sets (£9.99)
• Wooden Building Blocks (£9.99)
• Wooden Ramp Racer/Hammer Set (£9.99)
• Wooden Grocery Sets (£8.99)
• Wooden Activity Boards (£10.99)
• Wooden Musical Sets (£8.99)
• Wooden Musical Pull Along Animals (£8.99)
• Wooden Doughnut and Cake Assortment (£7.99)
• Wooden Birthday Cake (£7.99)
• Wooden Family Sets (£7.99)
• Wooden Biscuit Assort (£7.99)
• Plush Dolls 2024 (£6.99)
• Wooden Magnetic Box Assortment (£6.99)
• Wooden Vehicle Box Set (£6.99) 
• Wooden Meal Sets (£6.99)
• Wooden Animal Number Puzzles (£4.99)
• Wooden Vehicles (£3.99)
• Wooden Teething Vehicle (£3.99)
• Wooden 2d Wheeled Animals (£2.99)

Lidl also confirmed the relaunch of its wooden toy range, which parents will be eager to snap up for Christmas.

The popular bargain chain will offer premium toy products for shoppers willing to spend more.

The supermarket’s Wooden Play Kitchen will be scanning at tills for a whopping £49.99 and features a play oven, light-up hobs, a microwave and a sink.

Lidl will also be selling more affordable items in their range such as their Montessori Style Wooden Rainbow Puzzle (£3.99) said to be perfect for households who enjoy hours of family fun.

Here is the full list of wooden toys available at Lidl this year:

• Wooden 2-in-1 Baby Clinic and Vets (£39.99)
• Wooden Toy Tool Assortment (£5.99)
• Wooden Workbench (£49.99)
• Wooden Railway Set Farm, Fairy Land, Police, Fire Department (£7.99)
• Wooden Train Set Construction / Fairground (£29.99)
• Wooden Railway Set XL City / Dinosaur (£39.99)
• Wooden Road City / Racetrack (£14.99)
• Wooden Train Set City / Countryside (£14.99)
• Wooden Train Set (£4.99)
• Wooden Kitchen Accessories (£9.99)
• Wooden Ice Cream Trolley / Tabletop Pizza Oven (£19.99)
• Wooden Chunky Vehicles (£3.99)
• Wooden Room Play Set (£9.99)
• Wooden Kids’ Easel (£19.99)
• Wooden Food Play Set (£6.99)
• Wooden Flexible Doll Family or Doll’s House Furniture (£6.99)
• Wooden Play Kitchen (£49.99)
• Wooden Supermarket Accessories (£9.99)
• Wooden Dressing Table (£39.99)
• Wooden Vehicle Sets (£2.99)
• Wooden Train Set City / Dinosaur World (£39.99)
• 3D Wooden Learning Toys (£9.99)
• Wooden Puzzle (£1.99)
• Wooden Stacking Toy (£7.99)
• Wooden Marble Run (£12.99)
• Wooden Games (£3.99)
• Wooden Learning Games (£3.99)
• Wooden Learning Puzzle (£3.99)
• Wooden Toy Assortment Building Blocks (£7.99)
• Wooden Flexible Doll Family or Doll’s House Furniture (£6.99)
• Montessori Style Wooden Rainbow Puzzle (£3.99)
• Montessori Style Wooden Counting Set (£7.99)
• Montessori Style Wooden Light up Box (£19.99)
• Wooden Learning Games (£3.99)
• Wooden Puzzle / Pull Toy (£3.99)
• Wooden Learning Board Assortment (£7.99)
• Wooden Learning Tablet / Wooden Mobile Phone & Camera (£7.99)
• Wooden Wall Toys (£12.99)

It’s worth checking ahead with your local supermarket if they have what you’re looking for in stock before you go to avoid a wasted trip.

You can check how close you are to your nearest Aldi and Lidl supermarket using this handy store locator.

And remember to scout around other supermarkets for more toy deals – you never know what you can find elsewhere for less.

It comes after Tesco issued an urgent recall urging customers not to buy certain mince pies because they could contain glue.

And shoppers are racing to their nearest supermarket to stock up on Roses, Quality Street, Celebrations, and Heroes tubs, scanning at tills for just £3.95 each.

5

NatWest’s online banking app has gone done this morning leaving thousands of customers unable to access their cash.

A report on Downdector has shown over 3,000 savers have been unable to access their money.

1

Customers have taken to X, formally known as Twiiter, to complain about the tech issue.

One user said: “I just can’t log in. I have tried closing and re-opening the app”.

Another said, “How long will it be until it’s resolved? I need to access some money.”

The British bank told customers on social media that the team is “working hard to get things resolved as soon as possible but we have not been provided a time frame”.

WITH the cost of rent increasingly outstripping average salaries, young people are feeling more and more left behind.

I’m 21, and after three years of living away from home at university, I had no choice but to move back in with my parents rather than get my own place due to the rising cost of renting.

1

My parents live a three-hour round-trip from my office in London – a commute that costs me £600 a month. But it’s somehow still more viable than renting a room nearer to work.

With the cost of renting ever rising, and no prospect of a rent cap happening any time soon, there’s just no way I could live comfortably anywhere near the Capital.

I certainly wouldn’t be able to budget for other expenses like travelling, setting aside savings, or maintaining any kind of a social life.

You might think 21 is a pretty normal age to be living at home. But the problem is, the prospect of moving out keeps seeming further and further out of reach.

The average age for a young person to move out of their parents’ home in the UK is now 25.

Last year, it emerged that over 620,000 adults in the UK were living with their parents.

And it’s clearly not always been this way.

In 1997, more than half of 21-year-olds had moved out of their home.

The Office of National Statistics has now ruled that anyone living at home in their 20s is an “adult child”, suggesting there is a stigma around it, too.

But it’s not that I don’t want to move out. Living away from home for most young adults just isn’t feasible, or at least sustainable, anymore.

The numbers aren’t adding up

In London, the average salary for someone aged 18-21 is currently £22,693, according to recent analysis by The Times.

For comparison, the average annual rent for a property in the Capital is currently around £2,121 – or £25,452 over 12 months, according to Zoopla.

Even for a single room, London renters pay an average of £983 a month, or £11,796 a year. That’s more than half of the average young person’s salary – before bills and any other expenses.

Of course, London is more expensive than other places.

But rent prices all across the UK are constantly being hiked up, with the average cost of rent having increased by 9% in the last year – the highest annual increase since records began.

It’s not just the cost

And it’s not just the cost of finding a room that’s making moving out even harder.

If you manage to get past that hurdle, renters face the daunting task of sifting through Spare Room, a website which allows you to “browse” rooms to rent – except the strangers you’ll be living with have to choose you, instead.

Even if you have the money, you’re now also assessed on your personality and lifestyle choices.

In one Spare Room advertisement I came across, my fellow renters requested I was “an open-minded, kind and considerate person”, as well as being vegetarian – and preferably also a “qualified musician”.

In another, they expected me to be “willing to go on nights out with them”.

Embracing being an “adult child”

On TikTok, there is a flourishing trend of people moving back in with parents, ranging from their 20s all the way up to their 30s.

One user explained that she had recently moved back in with parents to save money after living in London for two years, and that she felt “down” as she worried she had “moved in the wrong direction”.

Another woman’s TikTok gained thousands of views, recounting the reasons why she “said goodbye to London and moved back with parents at 27”.

And in the comments section is an echo chamber of acceptance, all sharing their own experiences of having made the same move in the current cost of living crisis.

One user said: “With this economy now, if your parents are okay with you living with them don’t take that for granted and use it as an advantage to save up!”

Another said: “Times have changed. We should be living at home as long as possible, travelling, working, saving. And then move out.”

Saheena Dhanda, an acount executive at Wildfire, admitted she also felt relieved to move back in with her parents.

She said: “I feel that a break from the city lifestyle, whether this is for financial or mental health reasons, can be beneficial for anyone.

“I can think a lot clearer by not being so caught up in the social aspects of London life and feel less pressured to keep up with my peers – for example, attending events that I may not have had the budget for but feeling like I’ll miss out if I don’t go.”

What’s next for young people?

But, while we may be happy to embrace living at home for a while, young people quickly grow tired of not being able to sustain living independently, and they won’t put up with the way things are now forever.

More and more people are feeling that London and the UK in general have lost their glamour and have packed up entirely, with a new flood of Brits jetting off in search of greener pastures in Australia.

Last year, it is estimated 19,230 more UK citizens migrated to Australia than emigrated here.

While the cost of living is much more expensive in Australia, the wages are also higher – British doctors can earn as much as 50% more than they could in the UK.

I am at peace with the fact that I’ve got to stay at home for a while to save.

But with my £600 a month train prices, the fear of how long it will take me to save enough money to move out is playing on my mind. I don’t want to wait another four years before I can afford to be independent.

In rebuilding our economy, Sir Keir Starmer’s government should consider why young people want to leave Britain and focus on making it feasible to live independently here instead.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories