Overview

• Eligibility and award size are fixed by personal circumstances during the qualifying week of 15–21 September, including age and who you live with.
• Standard awards are £200 for those aged 66–79 and £300 for those 80 or over, with lower shares where more than one eligible pensioner lives in the same household.
• People who lived in a care home from 23 June to 21 September get half the usual amount unless they received Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income‑related ESA, in which case they are not entitled.
• HMRC will reclaim payments from individuals with annual income above £35,000 through PAYE code changes or Self Assessment, and any recovery applies to each person’s share in a couple.
• The Treasury estimates about £450 million in annual savings, with roughly two million higher‑income pensioners affected by the new recovery rules.