Overview

• Eligible pensioners in England and Wales must be born on or before 22 September 1959, with awards typically £200 per household or £300 where someone is aged 80 or over.
• Those with taxable incomes above £35,000 will still be paid initially, but HMRC will recover the amount via PAYE tax‑code changes or by adding it to their 2025–26 Self Assessment return unless they opt out by 15 September through official GOV.UK channels.
• DWP says most people will be paid automatically after receiving letters in October or November; new claims can be made by post from 15 September or by phone from mid‑October, with a final claim deadline of 31 March 2026.
• Four groups are excluded despite meeting the age rule: people living outside England and Wales, those in hospital for the whole qualifying week (and the year before), people barred from public funds by immigration status, and those in prison for the whole qualifying week; specific care‑home circumstances can also disqualify claims.
• DWP and HMRC have issued scam alerts about phishing messages and fake sites, with HMRC removing 4,600 fraudulent websites linked to the scheme and urging checks via GOV.UK.