Overview

• To qualify this winter, claimants must have been born before 22 September 1959, based on the DWP’s 15–21 September 2025 qualifying week.
• The DWP lists five ineligible groups: higher earners (reclaimed via tax), people in hospital or in prison for the whole qualifying week, certain long‑stay care‑home residents on specific benefits since 23 June 2025, and those barred from public funds by immigration status.
• Higher earners will have the payment recovered through PAYE or self‑assessment, and some people can opt out to avoid later repayment.
• An energy expert estimates roughly 80,000 people born in 1959 will miss out this winter because they reached pension age after the September cutoff.
• Letters detailing amounts are being issued in October and November, most payments are due in November–December, Scotland runs a separate Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, Northern Ireland operates a similar scheme, and officials warn pensioners to ignore scam messages seeking bank details.