Overview
- The Department for Work and Pensions is automatically paying £100 to £300 to eligible pensioners between now and the end of December, with eligibility based on birth date and circumstances in the 15–21 September 2025 qualifying week.
- HMRC will recover payments from those with taxable incomes over £35,000, typically through PAYE adjustments from April 2026 or via 2025/26 Self-Assessment, and recipients do not need to take action as HMRC will contact them.
- Bank statements should show a reference beginning with the recipient’s National Insurance number followed by “DWP WFP,” and missing-payment queries are advised after 28 January 2026 via the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
- Government guidance highlights ineligibility in specific situations, including some residents in care homes for the entire period from 23 June 2025 or earlier, those in hospital for the whole qualifying week, certain immigration conditions, incarceration during the qualifying week, and receipt of specified income-related benefits.
- DWP and HMRC report a surge in related scams and advise people not to click links or share bank details, to forward suspicious texts to 7726, and to report suspect contact via GOV.UK.