Overview
- Eligible pensioners born before 22 September 1959 are receiving £100 to £300, with DWP letters detailing amounts sent in October and November.
- In households where two eligible adults are not classed as a couple, each can receive a payment, meaning a shared home could receive up to £600 in total.
- Pensioners with taxable incomes above £35,000 will have the payment recovered by HMRC via PAYE code changes in 2026/27 or added to 2025/26 Self Assessment returns, following an opt-out window that closed in September.
- DWP analysis shows over 830,000 households are missing Pension Credit, prompting a targeted trial of 2,000 letters with Age UK and Independent Age to boost take-up in areas with low claim rates.
- The separate Cold Weather Payment scheme is active from 1 November 2025 to 31 March 2026, providing automatic £25 grants when local temperatures meet the seven-day freezing trigger.