Overview

• Eligibility is set by the qualifying week of 15–21 September 2025 for people born before 22 September 1959 in England and Wales.
• Awards range from £100 to £300 depending on age and household circumstances, with letters due in October or November and most payments made in November or December automatically.
• Those with taxable incomes above £35,000 will have any payment recovered later through PAYE or Self Assessment, with a BBC finance expert citing a £673 weekly benchmark during the qualifying week.
• An opt-out is available before 15 September for those who do not wish to receive a payment, and a small number of pensioners who have not had it before may need to claim via GOV.UK or the helpline.
• The DWP warns of scams about claiming or opting out and urges people to avoid links in unsolicited messages and rely on official GOV.UK guidance, with standard exclusions applying for those in hospital or prison all week, some care-home residents on certain benefits, restricted immigration status, and residents outside England and Wales.