DWP Confirms Winter Fuel Payment Eligibility for 2026/27

DWP Confirms Winter Fuel Payment Eligibility for 2026/27

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed who will receive the Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2026/27, with eligible pensioners receiving either £200 or £300 depending on their age and circumstances. The payment, a tax-free annual lump sum issued by the UK government to help older people with heating costs, is worth up to £300 this year.

To qualify, individuals must have been born on or before 28 June 1960, as confirmed by the government. The qualifying week, set out in legislation, is the third full week of September, which for winter 2026/27 falls on 21 to 27 September 2026. Claims open from 21 September 2026.

Payment Amounts and Eligibility

Those aged under 80 who have reached state pension age will receive £200, while those aged 80 or over will receive £300. Specifically, people born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960 will get £200, and those born before 28 September 1946 will get £300. The payment is based on when you were born and your circumstances during the qualifying week.

In a parliamentary inquiry earlier this year, Labour's Michael Wheeler asked Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden: "For what reason the cut-off date for eligibility for receipt of winter fuel payment is in June." Parliamentary Secretary for the Treasury and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions Torsten Bell responded that the payment is age-related and payable to everyone who has reached state pension age by the end of the qualifying week and is ordinarily resident in England or Wales. He also noted that the state pension age for men and women will increase to 67 between 2026 and 2028.

Recent Changes and Repayment Rules

The eligibility criteria have undergone two revisions in as many years. An initial shift to link payments to Pension Credit restricted them to those on incomes of around £11,000, which proved widely unpopular. Last winter saw another change, reverting to universal provision for all state pensioners, with only those earning £35,000 or above required to return the payment. This threshold means more than three-quarters of pensioners benefit.

Payments are assessed on personal earnings and, where applicable, recovered on an individual basis rather than by total household income. Households can opt out from 1 April 2026 via the Winter Fuel Payment Centre or an online form, using their National Insurance number. Once opted out, future payments stop unless re-registered. The government plans for HMRC to recover overpayments through tax code adjustments in the 2026-27 tax year, with upfront recovery planned from the 2027-28 tax year. Deductions could be roughly double the usual amount, for example £33 per month for a £200 payment, before returning to the lower figure in the following tax year.

How to Claim and Payment Timing

The government explains that eligible individuals will get a letter in October or November telling them how much they will get. If you do not get a letter but think you are eligible, you should check if you need to make a claim. The amount is based on when you were born and your circumstances between 21 and 27 September 2026.

Age UK advises that if you or your partner claims Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance, the payment should go to the main claimant automatically. If you have never received a Winter Fuel Payment before, or if you claim Universal Credit, you might need to make a claim. If you receive Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit, you must make a claim. Payments are usually received between mid-November and Christmas.

Warm Home Discount Separately Available

Separately, the government's Warm Home Discount scheme opens again in October, providing a £150 discount on energy bills for eligible households. The scheme will see six million households get the boost. Households are eligible if they receive Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance, or the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit. The discount is applied either as energy credit or top-up vouchers, depending on how customers pay their bills. The scheme opens each October, and it is up to energy suppliers to decide when to apply the discount, usually between November and January.

Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert said: "All households in England and Wales receiving a qualifying means-tested benefit should get the discount automatically between October 2026 and March 2027." They added that you should get the discount automatically if you are in receipt of a qualifying benefit and you (or your partner, or legal representative) were named on your electricity account or bill on August 23, 2026, the qualifying date for the payment. Eligible individuals should get a letter telling them if they will get it automatically or if they need to provide more information, and should be wary of scams. The Warm Home Discount helpline can be contacted if you are unsure about anything.