Overview

• Approximately nine million state pensioners born on or before 22 September 1959 in England and Wales will automatically receive one-off winter fuel payments of between £100 and £300 in November or December 2025.
• Households with at least one person of State Pension age will receive £200, with payments rising to £300 where a household member is aged 80 or over.
• Those with taxable incomes above £35,000 will have the full value of their winter fuel payment reclaimed through PAYE or their Self-Assessment tax return.
• Eligible pensioners can opt out of the scheme by contacting the Winter Fuel Payment Centre before 15 September 2025.
• The Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive will mirror England and Wales’s universal scheme, and the 2025 Budget will include a Tax Information and Impact Note outlining the HMRC recovery process; recipients are urged to follow GOV.UK guidance and report any suspicious communications.