Overview

• Government figures and campaigners say about 700,000 eligible pensioner households are still missing out on support worth up to roughly £4,000 a year.
• DWP data shows 181,100 Pension Credit awards were made in the past year, 57,200 more than the year before, with average awards worth about £82 a week.
• Providers report a 16% drop in new Pension Credit claims compared with the same recent period last year, indicating the earlier surge has eased.
• Winter Fuel Payments will be paid automatically in November or December 2025 based on eligibility during 15–21 September 2025, typically £200 per household or £300 where someone is 80 or over.
• England and Wales have a £35,000 income threshold for Winter Fuel Payments, with HMRC set to recover payments from higher earners, and analysts now expect savings far below the original £1.5bn forecast at around £227m.