Overview

• Eligibility for 2025/26 is set by the 15–21 September qualifying week, covering people born before 22 September 1959, with payments of £100–£300 depending on age and household circumstances.
• Most recipients will be paid automatically, with DWP letters due in October–November and payments scheduled for November–December; first‑time recipients and some groups must claim by post from 15 September or by phone from 13 October, with a 31 March 2026 deadline.
• HMRC will reclaim payments in full from individuals with taxable income over £35,000 via 2025/26 Self Assessment or 2026/27 tax‑code changes, and an online opt‑out is available to avoid later recovery.
• Advisers warn of a cliff‑edge effect at £35,000 that can penalise single pensioners and note that some taxable benefits and investment income outside ISAs can push people over the threshold.
• Additional help includes a £150 Warm Home Discount expanded to more than six million households and a £10 Christmas bonus in early December marked “DWP XB,” while Scotland provides a separate Pension Age Winter Heating Payment and Northern Ireland runs its own scheme.