However, if a person did not live in the UK during the qualifying week, they may still get the payment if both the following apply:

• They live in Switzerland or a European Economic Area (EEA) country
• They have a “genuine and sufficient link to the UK” – this can include having lived or worked in the UK, and having family in the UK.

However, individuals cannot get the payment if they live in Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greeze, Malta, Portugal or Spain, and Gov.uk says this is “because the average winter temperature is higher than the warmest region of the UK”.

There are some instances when a person may not qualify, and these are listed on the Winter Fuel Payment section of the government website.