Overview

• The DWP will automatically dispatch Winter Fuel Payments of £200 per household or £300 for homes with someone aged 80 or over to about nine million pensioners born before 22 September 1959, with funds arriving from November 2025.
• Eligibility is restricted to pensioners with taxable incomes of £35,000 or less (or £70,000 for couples), and any interest on savings outside ISAs counts toward this limit.
• Those over the income threshold can opt out to avoid clawback but otherwise will see payments reclaimed by HMRC through amended PAYE codes or via self-assessment.
• HMRC has warned pensioners to beware of scams, emphasising that no action or personal information is required and that legitimate payments will be made automatically.
• Pensioners who have deferred their state pension or recently returned from abroad must contact the DWP to ensure their details are up to date for payment receipt.