Overview
- Payments of £100 to £300 are being deposited from mid-November through December, with amounts depending on household circumstances, other benefits and care‑home status.
- Eligibility in England and Wales generally covers those born before 22 September 1959 who met residency rules in the 15–21 September qualifying week, while Scotland and Northern Ireland run separate schemes.
- HMRC will reclaim payments from individuals with taxable income above £35,000 via PAYE code changes from April 2026 or through 2025/26 Self Assessment, assessing each partner’s income separately in couples.
- The payment reference will show the recipient’s National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP WFP’, and people are advised to contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre after 28 January 2026 if no payment has arrived.
- DWP reports a sharp increase in phishing texts; recipients are told not to click links or share details, to forward suspicious texts to 7726 and to report phishing emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.