Overview
- Payments begin today across England and Wales and will arrive automatically through December, with most pensioners receiving between £100 and £300.
- The DWP reports a 150% rise in Winter Fuel Payment scam activity, with fraudsters posing as officials and pushing links that request personal and banking details.
- Suspicious texts should be ignored and forwarded to 7726, as genuine payments do not require applications or any response to messages.
- Those who have shared financial information are advised to contact their bank’s fraud team immediately, use 159 where available, and report to Action Fraud or via report@phishing.gov.uk.
- Payment references will show a National Insurance number followed by “DWP WFP,” HMRC may reclaim payments from those with income over £35,000 via tax from April 2026, and unpaid cases should contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre after 28 January 2026.