Overview

• DWP confirms the £150 Warm Home Discount will be applied automatically to eligible electricity accounts between November and March, with warnings that unsolicited calls about applying are scams.
• Letters detailing Winter Fuel Payments of £100–£300 are being issued in October to people born before 22 September 1959, set by the 15–21 September qualifying week, with most payments arriving in November or December.
• Pensioners with taxable income above £35,000 will still receive Winter Fuel Payments but HMRC will recover the amount via PAYE tax codes or Self Assessment, and separate eligibility rules apply for residents of care homes.
• Cold Weather Payments start on 1 November at £25 per seven‑day period of freezing conditions, paid automatically within about 14 days, while Scotland runs separate Winter Heating Payment schemes.
• Local councils are distributing Household Support Fund assistance through March 2026 in England, and a £10 DWP Christmas Bonus is due in early December and appears on bank statements as “DWP XB”.