Overview
- Winter Fuel Payments of £100–£300 are being paid automatically through November and December and will show on statements with a National Insurance reference followed by “DWP WFP,” with HMRC set to reclaim amounts from pensioners whose taxable income exceeds £35,000.
- Most pensioners should receive the payment by mid-December, those still unpaid by 28 January 2026 are advised to contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre, and suspicious texts should be forwarded to 7726.
- The one-off, tax-free £10 Christmas Bonus will be paid automatically during the qualifying week in early December, appears as “DWP XB,” and is not available to people receiving only Universal Credit.
- Cold Weather Payments of £25 for each seven-day period of zero or sub‑zero temperatures run from 1 November to 31 March, are paid within 14 working days when triggered, and have not yet been activated this winter, with Scotland operating a separate scheme.
- To raise take-up of Pension Credit, the DWP is trialling 2,000 targeted letters after earlier outreach led to 56,700 new awards, while additional support this winter includes Budgeting Advances of up to £812 and an expanded £150 Warm Home Discount for around six million households.