Overview

• Eligible residents of England and Wales born before 22 September 1959 will receive £200 if under 80 or £300 if 80 or over.
• Those with taxable income above £35,000 will be paid initially, then repaid via a 2026–27 tax‑code change or added to their 2025–26 Self Assessment.
• DWP will send letters in October or November confirming individual awards, with payments landing automatically from November.
• People are not eligible if they live outside England and Wales, were in hospital or prison for the entire 15–21 September 2025 week, or are barred from public funds; additional care‑home rules apply for some benefit recipients.
• Pension Credit applications rose 44% year on year to July 2025 with 181,100 approvals, and analysis reports the U‑turn cut expected savings from £1.5bn to roughly £227m after extra costs.