Christmas markets in Europe: The best getaway deals in 2024 with Ryanair flights under £25pp
Christmas is looming, and whilst it might be too early to be putting up the tree, it’s a great time to start planning a festive getaway.
Europe is brimming with Christmas markets come December, as picturesque towns and cities gear up for the holidays with twinkling lights, local carols and the scents of sweet treats.
Several European cities are famous for their markets at Christmas[/caption]And an added bonus of enjoying these magical places is that getting there from the UK doesn’t have to carry a hefty price tag.
We’ve searched through Ryanair‘s most Christmassy destinations to find flights to wintry wonderlands for under £25 — here’s what we found:
Nuremberg Christmas market, Germany
Nuremberg has one of the oldest Christmas markets in the world[/caption]Dubbed the ‘Christmas city‘, Nuremberg boasts one of the world’s oldest and largest Christmas markets.
The famous Christkindlesmarkt sits in the central square of the old town, surrounded by trademark Bavarian architecture and charming cobbled streets.
Visitors can browse stands selling unique decorations while revelling in the local food scene — after all, Nuremberg is the birthplace of the bratwurst.
The city has a long history of gingerbread-making too, with its Lebkuchen often claimed by locals to be the world’s best.
It’s great fun for kids, as the event boasts a mini Ferris wheel, a merry-go-round and a young woman dressed as an angel who greets and reads fairytales to the children.
- Dates: November 29 – December 24, 2024
- Flights to Nuremberg with Ryanair: from £20.99 from London Stansted
Basel Christmas market, Switzerland
There are 155 stands at Basel’s Christmas market[/caption]Basel hosts not one but two Christmas markets.
Spread across the Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz squares, Basel’s event was voted Best Christmas Market in Europe in 2021.
Here you’ll find 155 little wooden chalets selling artisanal goods, Swiss raclette and biscuit called Läckerli instead of gingerbread (kids can even decorate their own at a workshop).
The 13 metre-tall Christmas pyramid is the best place to grab a hot drink, while the best view can be seen from the cathedral tower.
Head up to the top to admire the romantic sea of lights from the market below.
- Dates: November 28 – December 23, 2024
- Flights to Basel with Ryanair: from £14.99 from London Stansted
Brussels Christmas market, Belgium
Winter Wonders has spectacular light shows[/caption]Called Winter Wonders, the Brussels yuletide market is the main reason the city is considered a Christmas capital.
Tourists making their way through the 2km stretch of stalls will find authentic Belgian waffles and chocolates which can be washed down with an spiced mulled wine or a local beer.
Family friendly activities can be found all around; there’s ice rink for skating, a Ferris wheel and spectacular light shows to wow the kids.
Plus, you can’t miss the enormous tree which stands the centre of all the action and is a wonder to behold at over 66ft high.
- Dates: November 29, 2024 – January 5, 2025
- Flights to Brussels with Ryanair: from £16.99 from Manchester
Krakow Christmas market, Poland
Tourists can take a horse and carriage ride around Krakow’s main square[/caption]Getting in the Christmas spirit is not hard in Krakow‘s picture-postcard medieval square.
Horses pull white carriages around the plaza which is situated at the heart of the Old Town — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and the air is filled with the aromas of traditional cuisine.
Visitors to its market wander around with pierogies (Polish dumplings) or grilled meats in hand and perhaps the local specialty of mulled beer.
It gets cold, but anyone who comes unprepared can buy handmade fur hats and gloves to keep toasty from inside the square’s central building, the Cloth Hall.
Truly the place to be for some Christmas shopping, the market has a wealth of crafts on offer from stocking-fillers to Krakow‘s signature finely-painted glass baubles.
- Dates: November 29 – December 26, 2024
- Flights to Krakow with Ryanair: from £24.99 from London Stansted
Copenhagen Christmas market, Denmark
Copenhagen is a Christmassy haven[/caption]Few places embody the cosy Danish spirit of hygge as much as Copenhagen at Christmastime.
The markets become a haven of enchanting lights, stands selling knitwear and wooden toys and people drinking glögg, the Scandinavian version of mulled wine.
Of the several Christmas markets in Copenhagen, Tivoli Gardens is by far the most popular, but Nyhavn’s harbour setting has its own charm too.
Braver visitors can take an icy dip in the water during the day, but there are plenty of fairground rides to choose from if you your idea of fun is firmly on dry land.
- Dates: November 15, 2024 – January 5, 2025 (exact dates vary by market)
- Flights to Copenhagen with Ryanair: from £16.99 from Bristol
Riga Christmas market, Latvia
The Christmas market in Riga has won several awards[/caption]When Riga‘s Doma square is decked out in its seasonal decor, it’s clear to see why it was voted the Most Authentic Christmas Market in Europe.
With its award-winning light trail nestled among the traditional architecture and stalls selling local delicacies like winter pig snout, the Eastern European city really does ooze a sense of magic.
Riga is a generally affordable city — according to the Savvy Backpacker’s price guide, lunch, dinner and a beer can be bought for just over £10 — but its worth budgeting a little extra for souvenirs and culinary delights.
If you’re travelling with family, children can meet Santa’s little helpers and send letters to Lapland while the grown-ups browse a wealth of unique gifts on sale.
Latvian folk music is swapped out for a live DJ on Fridays, so Riga has the amusement covered for people of all tastes.
- Dates: November 29, 2024 – January 2, 2025
- Flights to Riga with Ryanair: from £24.99 from London Stansted
Bratislava Christmas market, Slovakia
Bratislava’s market is great for food enthusiasts[/caption]Bratislava‘s markets are scattered throughout the city and are a feast for the senses.
From the famous Bratislava rolls to cheesy dumplings and roasted goose, the markets are a foodie paradise, and it’s a good place for a tipple too.
The city boasts some of the cheapest beer on the continent while markets serve honey wine and fruit brandy.
Bratislava castle which sits perched on a hill on the banks of the Danube river adds to the movie-like wonder of the place, as does the Christmas tram which transports passengers through the streets covered in fairy lights.
- Dates: November 23 – December 23, 2024
- Flights to Bratislava with Ryanair: from £14.99 from Leeds
Gothenburg Christmas market, Sweden
Liseberg is the most popular market in Gothenburg[/caption]In the run-up to Christmas the Gothenburg amusement park of Liseberg transforms itself into a winter wonderland complete with a market and theatrical performances .
Visitors pay for entry here, but inside they’ll find towering rides, bumper cars and and an impressive ice show which is included in the ticket price.
For a smaller market that’s free to visit, the welcoming neighbourhood of Haga offers a community vibe as shoppers meander through cobbled lanes snacking on roasted almonds.
- Dates: November 16 – December 29, 2024 (selected dates)
- Flights to Gothenburg with Ryanair: from £16.99 from London Stansted
Berlin Christmas market, Germany
There are over 80 different Christmas markets in Berlin[/caption]Berlin pulls out all the stops when it comes to Christmas markets.
Advent sees over 80 individual markets get set up in the German capital, with Spandau being the biggest and Weihnachtszauber considered the prettiest.
Postdamer Platz is the place to be for activities; market-goers can try tobogganing or curling and children can enjoy a free ice skating lesson.
The usual German festive trimmings will be available everywhere; sausages, glühwein (mulled wine) and snow-dusted huts selling traditional jewellery and crafts.
Some of the markets have an entry fee, but you can get your fix of Christmas cheer for free at Alexanderplatz, Charlottenburg Palace, Spandau, Landberger Allee and numerous others listed on the Berlin city website.
- Dates: November 24, 2024 – January 7, 2025 (exact dates vary by market)
- Flights to Berlin with Ryanair: from £24.99 from London Stansted
Seville Christmas market, Spain
Visitors can snack on churros at Seville’s market[/caption]Seville may not be the first place that comes to mind for Christmas markets compared to the colder and snowier destinations in Northern Europe, but it is well worth a visit.
Wooden cabins line the streets of the glowing historic quarter as shoppers snack on hot churros and choirs sing Andalusian Christmas songs called campanilleros.
It’s also worth exploring the Spanish tradition of nativity scenes — elaborate models of Bethlehem ranging from miniature to life-size are displayed at the Feria del Belén.
- Dates: November 29 – December 23, 2024 (to be confirmed)
- Flights to Seville with Ryanair: from £24.99 from Luton
Poznan Christmas market, Poland
Poznan Christmas market offers free concerts for entertainment[/caption]There’s an ethereal atmosphere in Poznan‘s square when it gets festooned with over 43,000 LED lights.
Over 70 quaint stands, a Venetian carousel and a massive tree arrive in the city for the Christmas market which sees throngs of tourists and locals alike munching on roasted chestnuts and buying handcrafted wares.
Poznan is an inexpensive city and puts on a show at the market with free concerts and animations for kids, so a trip to the market won’t break the bank.
- Dates: November 19 – December 23, 2024
- Flights to Poznan with Ryanair: from £16.99 from London Stansted
Billy Fletcher takes horrifying risk for Dawn and the kids in Emmerdale
EMMERDALE fans will see Billy Fetcher take a horrifying risk in the soap next week as his illegal fighting storyline continues.
Billy (Jay Kontzle) has already had one near death experience fighting, but he seems ready to risk his life again to protect his wife and kids.
Billy Fletcher is set to take a horrifying risk in next week’s Emmerdale[/caption] The husband and father is ready to put himself in harms way as he gears up for another illegal fight[/caption] Billy got hurt badly last time but now has John Sugden in his corner[/caption]Since moving out of Home Farm and into his own place with his wife Dawn (Olivia Bromley) and their kids Lucas and Evan, Billy has been struggling.
And with Evan so sick, Billy feels like a useless dad unable to provide for his family.
Because of this, he decides to take a huge risk that has a potentially big payoff – another boxing match.
In scenes next week, Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) will be shocked to see that Billy is training for another unlicensed fight.
But soon Mack is impressed because John Sugden’s (Oliver Farmworth) impromptu coaching session have improved Billy’s defence.
But John, who found out about the illegal boxing after Billy’s last injury, secretly isn’t convinced by his new money earner.
He enlisted Aaron Dingle’s (Danny Miller) help in his effort to persuade Billy he’s not in a fit state to fight. But will it work?
As Emmerdale viewers know, Billy previously entered the work of illegal fighting with the best of intentions; to provide a better life for his wife and kids.
It’s already nearly cost him his life, after he accidentally fell on something sharp during a fight (allegedly) and was left biting down on a belt while John stitched him up without anaesthetic.
After such a brush with death, and despite warnings to stop, Mack is shocked to discover that his pal is gearing up for yet another fight.
But Mack can’t stop him, so now all he can do is help.
Will John and Aaron be able to get through to him instead?
Mack is impressed that Billy is improving but John is worried he’s not up to it[/caption]Dee-Dee Bailey sparks concern with suspicious behaviour after Joel’s murder in Coronation Street
DEE-DEE Bailey is set to cause concern following suspicious behaviour in upcoming Coronation Street scenes.
The character – played by Channique Sterling-Brown – is dealing with the aftermath of villainous ex-fiancé Joel Deering (Calum Lill) being found murdered.
Dee-Dee Bailey sparks concern in upcoming Coronation Street scenes[/caption] Lauren prepares to move in with Dee-Dee – and brings her flowers as a thank you[/caption] With her current behaviour, will Dee-Dee be able to cope?[/caption]Until discovering his true colours, Dee-Dee had been happily with Joel.
Earlier this year, however, she learned the truth about his abusive actions towards Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton).
Since then, the two women became friends and had a shared goal to bring Joel down.
In scenes yet to air, Lauren gives Dee-Dee flowers as thanks for letting her and son Frankie – fathered by Joel – move in.
Meanwhile, the solicitor’s brother Michael (Ryan Russell) praises Dee-Dee for letting them move in.
Lauren’s social worker calls at Dee-Dee’s flat for a chat while Dee-Dee starts to make tea.
However, after finding an old love note from Joel in the cupboard, she’s upset and dashes out.
Can Dee-Dee cope with Lauren moving in?
Over in the café, police officer Kit (Jacob Roberts) is suspicious of Dee-Dee’s abstracted behaviour.
Viewers learned how corrupt lawyer Joel groomed and pursued Lauren.
After surviving an assault by Joel, Lauren fled Weatherfield – and was feared dead in the process.
Roy Cropper (David Neilson) was at one point charged with her alleged murder and later Nathan Curtis (Christopher Harper) found himself in the frame.
After months of mystery, Lauren later resurfaced and revealed herself to be pregnant with Joel’s baby.
It comes as she is set to make a shock confession after confirmation of the villain’s funeral.
Darkest soap storylines
Over the years the likes of EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street have all tried to try outdo each other with their outlandish plots in a bid to keep us tuning in each week. But here are some of the darkest that had fans in shock…
In upcoming scenes, the young woman is gobsmacked upon going to the baby unit and finding Max (Paddy Bever) there.
She’s left further shock after her friend admits to having feelings for her.
Although Lauren admits she feels the same way, what will happen next?
Coronation Street airs on ITV1 and is available on ITVX.
UK weather: Met Office issues urgent warning for ‘dense fog’ as millions brace for rush-hour chaos – are you affected?
DENSE fog is blanketing parts of the UK this morning causing travel chaos.
The Met Office has issued a severe warning lasting right through rush hour and covering much of the South East of England and the Midlands.
Early morning mist and fog has struck parts of the UK[/caption] The weather warning remains in place until mid morning today[/caption] It covers the South East and the Midlands[/caption]The weather agency says: “Areas of fog, dense in places, are likely to cause travel delays this morning.”
The warning is in place until 9am, with the weather slowing down journey times – with cancellations to flights a distinct possibility.
The area covered by the alert includes both Gatwick and Heathrow airports.
It comes as the weather is set to turn increasingly wet and windy today.
Although it’s a dry start for many, a low-pressure system is expected to bring strong winds to the north and west – with a yellow wind warning in place until 3pm in Scotland.
This combined with high spring tides may result in some coastal impacts, potentially continuing into the weekend on some coasts, the Met Office says.
Chief Meteorologist Jason Kelly said: “A period of strong south to southeasterly winds is likely across western Scotland on Friday morning into the early afternoon, before easing and turning southwesterly through the afternoon.
“Wind gusts of 45-55mph are possible fairly widely for a time, and perhaps in excess of 60mph in more exposed locations.
“Given the wind direction and high spring tides, some disruption is possible.”
However, things will be dry and brighter further south and east, with temperatures near normal or just above average.
The weather is set to remain unsettled going into the weekend, with further rain at times tomorrow.
By Sunday, a deep area of low pressure will arrive from the Atlantic bringing more widespread strong winds, particularly in northern and western areas.
A yellow warning for wind has been issued from 3am on Sunday until midday on Monday.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tony Wisson said: “This low-pressure system is not expected to develop until Friday near the coast of Canada, so at this stage there is still a lot of uncertainty about the strength and track of this system as it interacts with the jet stream over the weekend.
“It’s likely that parts of Ireland will see impacts from this before the UK though.
“At present, a windy period is expected across the whole of the UK on Sunday and into Monday, but across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northwest England and North West Wales, there is an increased chance of some disruption.
“Initially a period of strong south to southeasterly winds will likely develop through Sunday morning, with gusts of 50-60mph possible in some inland areas, especially Northern Ireland and western Scotland, and perhaps up to 60-70mph along exposed coasts and hills.
“Winds will then likely turn southwesterly, with a period of especially strong winds possible during Sunday afternoon and evening in western Scotland, where gusts could potentially reach 70-80mph in exposed areas, and more generally 55-65mph in other parts of the warning area.
“These strong winds in conjunction with high spring tides, may cause some disruption.
“It’s likely that Sunday’s wind warning will be updated and refined as confidence increases, and more warnings for the rainfall that is expected is likely.
“It is therefore important people stay up to date with the latest forecast.”
Areas affected by the fog warning
Here is a list of the areas affected by the fog warning, which remains in place until 9am today:
East Midlands
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Northamptonshire
Rutland
East of England
Bedford
Cambridgeshire
Central Bedfordshire
Essex
Hertfordshire
Luton
Norfolk
Peterborough
Southend-on-Sea
Suffolk
Thurrock
London & South East England
Bracknell Forest
Brighton and Hove
Buckinghamshire
East Sussex
Greater London
Hampshire
Kent
Medway
Milton Keynes
Oxfordshire
Portsmouth
Reading
Slough
Southampton
Surrey
West Berkshire
West Sussex
Windsor and Maidenhead
Wokingham
South West England
Bournemouth
Christchurch and Poole
Dorset
Gloucestershire
Swindon
Wiltshire
West Midlands
Warwickshire
West Midlands Conurbation
Worcestershire
‘A crossover I never even imagined’: Fans react to shock news WWE legend The Undertaker will interview Donald Trump
THE UNDERTAKER is set to interview Donald Trump – leaving fans shocked.
Trump is ramping up his media coverage ahead of November’s presidential election against Kamala Harris.
Donald Trump is set to feature on The Undertaker’s podcast[/caption] Fans reacted in shock to the news[/caption]And in a bid to win over the professional wrestling faithful, Trump is set to sit down for an interview with Undertaker.
According to Politico Reporter Alex Isenstadt, Taker – real name Mark Calaway – will welcome Trump onto his “Six Feet Under” podcast.
One fan said: “This is a crossover I never even imagined in my wildest dreams…”
Another added: “This will be the interview of all time.”
One joked: “This is how i find out the undertaker has a podcast.”
Another said: “That’s something I didn’t expect.”
Trump has a long history with the WWE, helping host events with founder Vince McMahon in the late 1980s.
The two billionaire moguls remained friends of the years and were even pitted against each other for a storyline in 2007.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
McMahon and Trump both selected a WWE star to represent them with the loser having their head shaved.
Bobby Lashley won on behalf of Trump – beating McMahon’s pick of Umaga – with the ex-WWE’s boss going bald live on pay-per-view.
McMahon’s wife Linda has also joined Trump’s office in 2017, spending two years as his Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
Trump – a WWE Hall of Famer – is now attempting to join Grover Cleveland as only the second US president to serve two separate terms.
Undertaker meanwhile retired in 2020 as one of the greatest and most popular WWE wrestlers of all time.
Trump shaving Vince McMahon’s head with Bobby Lashley[/caption]The browser extensions that are free to use and can save you money when shopping
EVERYONE loves a discount, voucher or promo code, but finding working codes for shopping websites can take a lot of work.
Dedicated voucher websites such as MyVoucherCodes.co.uk and HotUKDeals can help you find – and share – the latest offers.
But searching these sites takes time and effort, with codes typically only working a limited number of times or for a certain time period.
This is where web browser extensions (also called web widgets, add-ons or plug-ins) come in handy. Installing a free extension to your internet browser can mean finding the best working discount codes in a matter of seconds.
Instead of copying and pasting promo codes from random websites and hoping they work, the web extension does all the legwork for you by scanning and testing all available codes at the checkout and applying the best code to your shopping cart.
For the non-techy people, browsers are software programs we use to search the internet. The top three popular browsers are Chrome, Safari and Edge.
Browser extensions are small programs or ‘add-ons’ you can download to add new features to your browser.
Deepak Tailor, founder of LatestFreeStuff.co.uk, explained: “Free discount code browser extensions should be on everyone’s browser. After ad blockers, I think it’s the most important thing you could have. It’s like free money.
“When you’re on a shop’s website, with the Chrome extension installed for free, you’ll see a little pop-up suggesting there may be some discount codes available. At checkout, you can try the codes and see if it saves you any money.
“These extensions save you from manually searching on Google and going to lots of different coupon websites. It’s there right where you want it.”
ITV is the latest organisation to launch a discount code browser extension via its new consumer-facing affiliate marketing brand ‘ITV Kerching’. The add-on uses tech company Kindred’s technology to search for discount codes from retailers.
Other discount-hunting browser add-ons have been around much longer.
Honey launched in 2012 and was acquired by PayPal in 2020 for about $4billion (£3.73billion).
Now called PayPal Honey, the extension searches for promo codes from more than 30,000 online stores across the world. It also offers a price tracking tool called Droplist and a rewards system called Honey Gold.
Pouch is a UK-based browser extension, offering exclusive deals from thousands of UK retailers. Alternatively, VoucherCodes.co.uk has a linked browser extension called DealFinder which automates the search for codes. Coupert, which tests codes at more than 20,000 retailers, is worth experimenting with too.
Liz Hunter, director at Money Expert, said: “If you’re a frequent online shopper, consider installing more than one voucher code extension. Each extension may have unique deals and discounts in its database, so cross-referencing them can help you to maximise your savings.
“Some extensions allow you to set up notifications for your favourite retailers. This feature is well worth activating – it ensures you’re alerted as soon as new discount codes are available, so you never miss a great deal.”
While voucher code extensions are a no-brainer when it comes to saving money shopping online, there are other types of money-saving extensions too.
Price comparison extensions
For example, price comparison extensions can be useful when it comes to navigating sales such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which often leads to retailers overstating deals and savings.
“They can help you quickly identify genuine deals and avoid falling for inflated prices. Shoptimate and PriceBlink are great options here, which both automatically compare prices to other retailers selling the same item,” said Hunter.
PriceScout works in a similar way, automatically scanning more than 21,000 stores in order to let you know which retailer has the lowest price on the item you’re viewing. Its automatic coupon notifications will then alert you to money-saving codes to use at the checkout.
Earn cash back while shopping
There are also cashback browser extensions which allow you to earn money back on your online purchases by tracking your shopping activity and rewarding you with a percentage of your spending back in cash.
TopCashback’s browser extension both searches for discount codes and also automatically activates cashback offers, meaning users can earn money back on their purchases across a wide range of UK retailers, including Boots, eBay, and Expedia.
Adam Bullock, UK director at TopCashback, said: “On average, our members can save £300 a year by shopping through the site, and as long as the browser extension is installed, members don’t even have to click out to TopCashback to shop.
Shoppers can make purchases at their favourite brands directly through their sites just by clicking the ‘Activate Now’ button that pops up.”
Compare price histories
If you’re a regular Amazon user, a browser extension called CamelCamelCamel allows you to compare products and view price history on the site, meaning you can see how prices have fluctuated over time and when might be the best time to buy.
How do browser extensions make money? It’s basically a type of affiliate marketing strategy where the companies behind the plug-ins earn a commission from a brand if shoppers use a certain code.
Installing browser extensions is fairly straightforward. You can either click the buttons on the browser extension’s website, or go to the ‘extensions library’ in your web browser. They’re all free.
The only catch is that not every browser extension works on every web browser. ITV Kerching only works on Chrome, for example. They might not work on your phone’s browser either. If that’s the case, it will be best to use a laptop, PC or Mac for online shopping.
Tailor said: “You do need to watch out which you install. Check reviews and the permissions requested. Go with trusted UK brands that adhere to UK data protection laws (Honey and Latest Deals is such a company).
“There are many unofficial extensions that do not disclose what they’re doing with your data.”
How to save money on Christmas shopping
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping.
Limit the amount of presents – buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.
Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you’re not having to buy multiple presents.
Plan ahead – if you’ve got the stamina and budget, it’s worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales.
Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you’re not forking out more than you should though.
Buy in Boxing Day sales – some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25.
Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent.
Shop via outlet stores – you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.
They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor.
Just hours left for tens of thousands of households to make key move to unlock winter fuel payment thanks to loophole
A WINTER Fuel Payment loophole means thousands on Universal Credit can claim the £300 bonus – but you only have hours to apply.
The Winter Fuel Payment was previously available to everyone aged at least 66 – the current State Pension age.
But this year, the rules have changed. Now, you can only get the cash if you get one of the qualifying means-tested benefits.
This includes state pensioners claiming Pension Credit, income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, income-related employment support allowance, tax credits, or Universal Credit.
To qualify for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment, you must have an active claim for any of these benefits during the “qualifying week”, which runs from September 16 to 22 (this week).
However, claims can be backdated by between one and three months, depending on the benefit you’re applying through – so it’s not too late to claim.
To be eligible for Pension Credit, you and your partner need to have both reached the State Pension age, which has excluded many from applying.
But, if you have a younger partner, you may be able to make a claim to receive the Winter Fuel Payment through Universal Credit.
Claims for Universal Credit can be backdated by one month.
This means that the absolute deadline to claim the benefit and qualify for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment is today at midnight.
If you fail to apply for the benefit before the end of the day, you won’t qualify for this year’s cash.
According to Age UK, you can ask for your Universal Credit to be backdated if:
- you could not reasonably have claimed earlier because of disability
- illness – which must be confirmed by medical evidence
- Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) computer failure
- where a joint claim ends or is refused, in some circumstances.
Thousands of couples could be missing out on this benefit, which is worth up to £618 a month with the standard allowance before the Winter Fuel Payment is added.
To receive Universal Credit you need to be on a low income or need help with your living costs and have £16,000 or less in savings and investments.
Bear in mind that if your claim for Universal Credit is accepted, then you will need to ask for it to be backdated by a month – it won’t just happen automatically.
Other backdating deadlines
If you think you may be one of the thousands eligible for Pension Credit though, you may be able to backdate a claim in order to get the payment too.
Pensioners have three months to backdate a claim for the top-up benefit.
This means that the absolute deadline to claim the benefit and qualify for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment is December 21.
Of course, if you fail to apply for the benefit before this date, you won’t qualify for this year’s £300 payment.
The amount you get for the Winter Fuel Payment varies depending on your age.
If you are aged between 66 and 79, you will get £200, while those aged 80 or over will receive £300.
Whatever your situation, it’s worth checking what benefits you can receive as some 850,000 people who could be claiming Pension Credit and, in turn, the Winter Fuel Payment, have not yet applied.
If you’re not sure if you will be able to get Pension Credit or Universal Credit, you can use our handy tool to check what benefits you’re eligible for.
How to apply for Universal Credit
Applying for Universal Credit should be relatively easy.
You have to go online and create an account, then there are further steps to take.
Creating an account
Once you’ve created an account you must make a claim within 28 days otherwise you’ll have to start the process again.
If you live with your partner, you’ll both have to create accounts and you’ll join them together when you claim.
If you’re struggling to claim online you can use the Universal Credit helpline which is 0800 328 5644.
What you’ll need
To apply online you’ll need your bank, building society or credit union account details.
On top of this, you’ll need an email address and access to a phone.
If you don’t have these things, you can call the Universal Credit helpline or go to a job centre.
To find your nearest job centre, you can use its website.
After you’ve offered your bank details, you will have to provide your driving licence, passport, debit or credit card and payslip of P60.
In addition, you’ll need to prove how much rent you pay, your earnings, any disability or health condition that affects your work, how much you pay for childcare your savings and any investments, such as shares or a property you rent out.
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.