Overview
- Winter Fuel Payments of £100–£300 began arriving on 1 November and will be paid through December to eligible people in England and Wales born before 22 September 1959.
- Those with individual incomes above £35,000 will have the payment reclaimed by HMRC through PAYE in 2026–27 or via their 2025–26 Self Assessment, with no option to repay earlier.
- About nine million pensioners are set to receive the payment this winter, while Scotland delivers a separate Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.
- New DWP analysis shows up to 910,000 households missed out on Pension Credit in 2023/24, with local uptake ranging from 79% in Glasgow to 44% in Orkney.
- The DWP has launched a pilot with Age UK and Independent Age, sending 2,000 targeted letters to encourage claims for Pension Credit worth around £4,300 a year and unlocking wider support.