State pensioners across the UK can get £300 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) if they make a phone call before a December deadline.

Pensioners on a low income are being urged to check their eligibility for Pension Credit as this benefit will automatically entitle them to this year’s Winter Fuel Payment.

But claims for Pension Credit must be submitted to the DWP by the deadline of Saturday, December 21, to qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment, which is worth up to £300.

Around 880,000 households are eligible for Pension Credit but fail to claim it, meaning they miss out not only on the £300 winter payment, but a wealth of other support from the DWP.

The benefit acts as a gateway to all kinds of financial help, including Housing Benefit, Council Tax discounts, a free TV licence, help with NHS dental treatment, glasses and transport costs, and help with heating bills though the Warm Homes Discount Scheme.

The final deadline to apply for the benefit to secure the £300 from the DWP is now just a week away so pensioners are urged to check their eligibility and apply as soon as possible.

You can claim the benefit with just one phone call to the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234, or by submitting an application online via GOV.UK

You can apply any time after you reach State Pension age but your claim can only be backdated by three months, so you’ll get three months of Pension Credit in your first payment if you were eligible during that time.

The benefit is worth up to £3,900 per year on average and will soon be paid at a weekly rate of £227.10 per week for a single person and £346.60 for couples, when benefits are uprated in April.

You must have been born before September 23, 1958, live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, and get one of the following benefits to be eligible:

• 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

You must have been getting one of these benefits during the qualifying week of September 16 to 22, 2024.

The Winter Fuel Payment will be paid into bank accounts by the DWP automatically and will have a payment reference beginning with your National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP WFP’.

The payment is worth £200 for people born between September 23, 1944, and September 22, 1958, and £300 for those born before September 23, 1944. If you don’t receive a payment by January 29, 2025, you should contact the DWP