Overview
- Scotland has begun Pension Age Winter Heating Payment deposits from November 16, paying £101.70 to £305.10 and sending letters, with bank references showing as “PAWHP.”
- Across England and Wales, around nine million pensioners are receiving automatic Winter Fuel Payments through November and December, typically worth £200 to £300 based on circumstances.
- Eligibility is set by the qualifying week of September 15–21, 2025, with birthdate cutoffs of on or before September 21, 1959 in Scotland and before September 22, 1959 in England and Wales.
- The DWP lists exclusions including being in hospital or prison for the full qualifying week, certain long‑term care home residents, people living outside England and Wales, and those with no recourse to public funds.
- HMRC will recover payments from people with taxable income over £35,000 via 2026/27 tax code changes or Self Assessment, some people must apply by March 31, 2026, and officials urge reporting scam texts to 7726 without sharing bank details.