Overview
- About nine million pensioners in England and Wales are receiving £100 to £300, with eligibility set for those born before 22 September 1959.
- Payments are being issued automatically in waves through mid-December, with some continuing until 28 January 2026.
- The DWP lists five exclusions, covering people outside England and Wales, those in prison, certain full-week hospital patients, residents of care homes over set periods, and people whose immigration status bars public funds.
- A separate Cold Weather Payment of £25 is made for each seven-day spell at or below 0°C between 1 November 2025 and 31 March 2026 for households on specified benefits in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with Scotland running a different scheme.
- Cold Weather Payments should arrive within 14 working days and recipients can use the government postcode checker or contact pension centres and Jobcentre/Universal Credit helplines if a payment is missing.