Overview
- DWP says letters are being issued in October and November confirming awards, with payments starting to land from 1 November and continuing through December.
- Eligibility covers people born before 22 September 1959, with £200 for most aged 66–79 and £300 for those 80+, and reduced amounts of £100 or £150 for eligible care‑home residents.
- An individual income cap of £35,000 means around two million pensioners are expected to repay up to about £300 of their winter payment.
- HMRC will recover over‑threshold amounts via PAYE tax‑code changes or through Self Assessment, not by taking money directly from bank accounts, with deductions running from April 2026 and two collections planned in 2027.
- The opt‑out window for this winter has closed, phone claims open in mid‑October for those who need to apply, and Scotland pays a separate Pension Age Winter Heating Payment through Social Security Scotland.