Millions more pensioners will receive the winter boost worth up to £300. Here’s who’s eligible, how much is paid, and what to watch out for.
Who is eligible for winter fuel payment as £300 benefit lands in accounts from tomorrow (Image: Getty)
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Around nine million pensioners will see winter fuel payments arrive in their accounts from Saturday, as the Government rolls out this year’s cold weather support. The payments, which will be distributed automatically by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), are worth between £100 to £300 depending on a person’s age.
The benefit sparked controversy last year when it was revoked for around 10 million pensioners under new eligibility rules. In an effort to balance a multi-billion-pound “hole” in the public finances, the payment criteria were reduced to just state pensioners on means-tested benefits, such as Pension Credit. However, after facing persistent backlash from the public, MPs and campaigners, Chancellor Rachel Reeves was forced to make a U-turn on the policy during the spring. Here’s who’s eligible, how much is paid, and what to watch out for.
Millions more pensioners will receive the winter boost worth up to £300 (Image: Getty)
What is the winter fuel payment?
First launched in 1997, the winter fuel payment is a tax-free benefit to help older and vulnerable Britons meet the costs of heating their homes over the colder months.
The payments, which are distributed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), are typically made to eligible people between November and December every year.
Who is eligible for the winter fuel payment?
Under the new rules, state pensioners in England and Wales with an income of under £35,000 a year will get the winter fuel payment automatically. To be eligible, people will need to have reached state pension age (currently 66) by the week starting September 15 this year.
Those with an income above the £35,000 threshold will also receive the payment, but it will then be reclaimed from them in tax. It will be collected either automatically via PAYE, or via their self-assessment tax return.
Devolved authorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland each received a funding uplift, enabling them to meet the new threshold of eligibility.
How much is the winter fuel payment?
Letter are sent out in October or November to those who are eligible, detailing how much money they’ll get.
The amount you get is based on when you were born and your circumstances between September 15 and September 21, 2025. This is called the ‘qualifying week’. Any money you get will not affect your other benefits.
If you live alone or no one you live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, you’ll get either:
- £200 if you were born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959
- £300 if you were born before 22 September 1945
If you live with someone else who’s eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, your payment may be different if you get one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
If you do not get any of the benefits, you’ll get a payment of:
- £100 if you and the person you live with were both born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959
- £100 if you were born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959 but the person you live with was born before 22 September 1945
- £200 if you were born before 22 September 1945 but the person you live with was born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959
- £150 if you and the person you live with were born before 22 September 1945
If you and your partner jointly claim any of the benefits, one of you will get a payment of either:
- £200 if both of you were born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959
- £300 if one or both of you were born before 22 September 1945
You’ll be paid into the bank account your benefits are usually paid into.
If you get any of the benefits (not as part of a joint claim), you’ll get a payment of either:
- £200 if you were born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959
- £300 if you were born before 22 September 1945
If you live in a care home and you’re eligible, you’ll get either:
- £100 if you were born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959
- £150 if you were born before 22 September 1945
If you do not get a letter but think you’re eligible for the benefit, check if you need to make a claim.
Who needs to claim the winter fuel payment?
Most people get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if they’re eligible. You do not need to claim if you get any of the following benefits:
- State Pension
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Carer’s Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Income Support
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- awards from the War Pensions Scheme
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Incapacity Benefit
- Industrial Death Benefit
If you do not get any of these benefits, the DWP said you’ll need to claim if either of the following apply:
- You’ve not got the Winter Fuel Payment before
- You’ve deferred your state pension since your last winter fuel payment.
Who is not eligible for the winter fuel payment?
You will not be eligible if you:
- Live outside England and Wales
- Were in hospital getting free treatment for the whole of the week of 15 to 21 September 2025 and the year before that
- Need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says that you cannot claim public funds
- Were in prison for the whole of the week of 15 to 21 September 2025
If you live in a care home, you can still get the Winter Fuel Payment. However, you will not be eligible if both of the following apply:
- You get Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- You lived in a care home for the whole time from June 23, 2025, or earlier.
If your income is over £35,000
For those with an annual income of more than £35,000, HMRC will take your winter fuel payment back by either:
- Changing your tax code for the 2026 to 2027 tax year
- Adding the amount to your 2025 to 2026 Self Assessment tax return
You can use this tool to check if your income is over the threshold, and how HMRC will take it back.
When you’ll be paid the winter fuel payment
Most payments are made automatically in November or December.
If you do not get a letter informing you that you’re eligible or the money has not been paid into your account by January 28, 2026, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
What to watch out for
Winter fuel payment scam surged by 153% in the last week of September.
The DWP has urged pensioners to be vigilant with the following warning: “Winter Fuel Payments are made automatically, and the government will never ask for bank details by text.
“Anyone who receives a text message inviting them to apply for a payment should not engage with it and instead forward it to 7726.”
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “If you get a text message about Winter Fuel Payments, it’s a scam. They will be made automatically so you do not need to apply.
These despicable attempts by criminals to target people are on the rise. We are raising awareness to make it harder for fraudsters to succeed.”
