Overview

• The reinstated Winter Fuel Payment for 2025/26 is worth £100 to £300 and will reach about nine million pensioners in England and Wales.
• Most eligible people will be paid automatically, but those not receiving DWP benefits or a DWP pension must apply using the new form or by phone from October 13, with a claim deadline of March 31, 2026.
• HMRC will reclaim awards from people over the £35,000 taxable income threshold by changing 2026–27 tax codes or adding the amount to 2025–26 Self Assessment, and recipients can opt out in advance.
• DWP says letters confirming eligibility and amounts will go out in October or November, with most payments due in November or December; the qualifying week ran from September 15 to 21 for those born on or before September 22, 1959.
• Financial experts warn the individual income test disadvantages single pensioners and can let couples each under £35,000 keep payments, and they highlight that taxable benefits and dividends outside ISAs count toward the threshold while ISAs and tax‑free pension lump sums do not.