Pensioners are being urged to check if they are eligible for the winter fuel allowance after universal payments were scrapped by new Chancellor Rachel Reeves last month.
Previously, the money was available to everyone above state pension age, but now it will be limited to people over state pension age who are receiving pension credit or other means-tested support.
It means the number of people entitled to the money will drop from 11.4 million to just 1.5 million.
The payment is £200 for households where the recipients are all under 80, and £300 where they are over 80.
While around 1.4 million pensioners are already receiving pension credit, there are up to an estimated 880,000 households eligible for the support who are yet to claim, the Department for Work and Pensions says.
The government’s awareness drive will help identify households not claiming the benefit, and encourage pensioners to apply by 21 December – the last date for making a backdated claim for pension credit in order to receive the Winter Fuel Payment.
It will focus on “myths” that may stop people applying, such as how having savings, a pension or owning a home are not necessarily barriers to receiving pension credit.
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