HM Treasury has increased the income threshold to qualify for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment.
Nine million pensioners in England and Wales will qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment this winter (Image: Getty)
Nine million pensioners are in line to get a Winter Fuel Payment worth up to £300 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) this winter thanks to a change to eligibility rules.
HM Treasury has confirmed an increase to the income threshold that will mean over three quarters of pensioners in England and Wales will now qualify for the payment this winter. It comes after a rule change last year to limit the payment only to those claiming Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits meant millions of pensioners who previously qualified for the vital winter support missed out. But thanks to a government U-turn, the payment will now be restored to the vast majority of pensioners who meet the new eligibility threshold.
HM Treasury has said everyone in England and Wales over State Pension age – which is currently 66 for men and women – with an income of, or below, £35,000 per year will get a Winter Fuel Payment this year.
Any pensioners above the £35,000 income threshold will have the payment automatically collected by HMRC via PAYE or their Self-Assessment return.
The Winter Fuel Payment is worth up to £300, but not everyone will qualify for the full amount as it depends on your age. HM Treasury has said that all eligible pensioners in England and Wales aged between 66 and 79 will get a payment of £200. But in households where someone is aged 80 or over, a payment of £300 will be made.
In households that aren’t receiving an income-related benefit, such as Pension Credit, a shared payment will be made.
Eligibility for the payment is based on a person’s age and place of residence during the qualifying week from Monday, September 15 to Sunday, September 21, 2025. So you need to have reached State Pension age by the end of this qualifying week and live in England or Wales to qualify.
HM Treasury explains: “From 2025/26 Winter Fuel Payments will be payable in England and Wales at £200 for households including someone between State Pension age and 79, and £300 for households including someone aged 80 or over.
“Where the household is not getting an income related benefit, such as Pension Credit, a shared payment will be made – e.g. a couple, each under 80, not on Pension Credit will receive a payment of £100 each.
“Winter Fuel Payments are transferred in Northern Ireland. The policy area is devolved to Scotland. The Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive will both receive a mechanical uplift in their funding as a result of this change in England and Wales.”
