Overview

• About nine million people in England and Wales born before 22 September 1959 will get £100–£300, with typical awards of £200 for State Pension age households and £300 where someone is 80 or over.
• DWP says letters will go out in October or November confirming amounts, with automatic bank payments scheduled across November and December 2025.
• HMRC will recover the full payment from those over the £35,000 taxable‑income threshold through PAYE code changes for 2026/27 or via 2025/26 Self Assessment.
• An opt‑out is available ahead of mid‑September cut‑offs reported as 14 September online and 12 September by phone, with some outlets also citing 15 September, and GOV.UK carries the official guidance.
• Eligibility excludes people outside England and Wales, those in hospital or prison for the 15–21 September qualifying week, some long‑stay care home residents on certain benefits, and those barred from public funds, while councils warn of scam texts since most eligible people do not need to apply; Pension Credit applications have risen 44% year on year.