Overview
- Payments of up to £300 will be paid automatically into eligible bank accounts between November and December 2025, so no application is required.
- Pensioners with taxable annual income above £35,000 will have the Winter Fuel Payment recovered later, typically through PAYE.
- Eligibility for 2025 includes people born on or before 21 September 1959 who were resident in England or Wales during 15–21 September 2025.
- Typical awards are £200 for those at State Pension age and £300 where someone in the household is over 80, with around three quarters of pensioners expected to benefit.
- The DWP warns that texts about the Winter Fuel Payment are scams and advises reporting suspicious messages to Action Fraud or forwarding them to 7726, and contacting your bank if money may be at risk.