Overview

• Payments are £200 per household or £300 where someone is aged 80 or over, with one payment per household unless a person receives an income-related benefit such as Pension Credit.
• Some couples will effectively get £100 each where a partner’s share is split and one portion is later reclaimed through the tax system.
• HMRC will recover Winter Fuel Payments from people with total annual income above £35,000, with clawback applied through PAYE or self-assessment.
• Entitlement letters are being issued in October and November, most payments are due in November or December 2025, phone lines open on Monday 13 October, and claims close on 31 March 2026.
• Eligibility applies to those in England and Wales born before 22 September 1959, Scotland runs a separate Pension Age Winter Heating payment and Northern Ireland has different rules, and the DWP warns that texts telling people to apply are fraudulent.