Winter Fuel Payment (UK): Eligibility, Amounts & Key Information

The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) designed to help older people with their heating and energy costs during the colder months.

For winter 2026 to 2027, eligible people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can receive between £100 and £300, depending on their age and circumstances. Most eligible people receive the payment automatically. However, if your individual income is more than £35,000, HMRC will usually recover your Winter Fuel Payment through the tax system.

In Scotland, the Winter Fuel Payment has been replaced by the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.

In this article, we cover everything you need to know about the Winter Fuel Payment for 2026/27, including eligibility criteria, payment amounts and dates, how to claim, and other help available with energy costs.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2026/27, you must have been born on or before 27 June 1960 and usually live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

The qualifying week for winter 2026/27 is 21 to 27 September 2026.

You will not be eligible if:

• You usually live outside England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
• You were in hospital receiving free treatment for the whole of the qualifying week, from 21 to 27 September 2026, and the year before that.
• You need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave states that you cannot claim public funds.
• You were in prison for the whole of the qualifying week from 21 to 27 September 2026.

If you live in a care home, you may still qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment. However, you will not be eligible if both of the following apply:

• You receive Universal Credit, Pension Credit or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
• You lived in a care home for the whole time from 29 June 2026 or earlier.

What Happens If Your Income Is Over £35,000?

The Winter Fuel Payment is not restricted to people earning £35,000 or less. Eligible pensioners can still receive the payment if their income is above this amount.

However, if your individual total income is more than £35,000, HMRC will usually recover your Winter Fuel Payment through the tax system.

The threshold applies to each person individually rather than the household as a whole. For example, if one partner has an income of £36,000 and the other has an income of £22,000, HMRC may recover the first partner's payment while the second partner keeps theirs.

There are exceptions for people receiving certain means-tested benefits, including Pension Credit.

If you expect your income to exceed £35,000 and do not want to receive a payment that will later be recovered, you can choose to opt out.

If you are eligible, you should receive a letter in October or November confirming how much Winter Fuel Payment you will receive.

Payment Amounts and Dates

The amount you receive depends on your age and circumstances during the qualifying week of 21 to 27 September 2026.

If you live alone or nobody you live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, you will receive:

• £200 if you were born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960.
• £300 if you were born before 28 September 1946.

If you live with someone else who is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, you will generally receive:

• £100 if you and the person you live with were both born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960.
• £100 if you were born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960 and the person you live with was born before 28 September 1946.
• £200 if you were born before 28 September 1946 and the person you live with was born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960.
• £150 if you and the person you live with were both born before 28 September 1946.

Your payment can be different if you receive certain means-tested benefits.

These include:

• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

If you and your partner jointly claim one of these benefits, one of you will receive:

• £200 if both of you were born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960.
• £300 if one or both of you were born before 28 September 1946.

The payment will usually be made into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments.

If you receive one of the qualifying benefits individually rather than as part of a joint claim, you will receive:

• £200 if you were born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960.
• £300 if you were born before 28 September 1946.

If you live in a care home and are eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, you will receive:

• £100 if you were born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960.
• £150 if you were born before 28 September 1946.

Most Winter Fuel Payments are made automatically during November or December 2026.

You should receive a letter in October or November explaining how much you will receive. If you have not received your payment by 27 January 2027, you should contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.

Cold Weather Support

Alongside the Winter Fuel Payment, some people may qualify for additional help through the Cold Weather Payment scheme.

Cold Weather Payments are made when the average temperature in your area is recorded or forecast to be 0°C or below for seven consecutive days during the scheme period.

Eligibility depends on receiving certain benefits and meeting the relevant criteria. Payments are normally made automatically, so you do not usually need to make a separate claim.

Regional Variations

Winter heating support differs across the UK.

Eligible people in England and Wales receive the Winter Fuel Payment through the DWP.

Eligible people in Northern Ireland can also receive Winter Fuel Payment, with eligibility and payment amounts broadly following the same rules.

In Scotland, Winter Fuel Payment has been replaced by the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, which is administered by Social Security Scotland.

For winter 2026/27, eligible pensioners in Scotland can receive between £105.55 and £316.70, depending on their age and household circumstances.

As with the Winter Fuel Payment elsewhere in the UK, Scottish pensioners with individual income above £35,000 may have the payment recovered through the tax system.

How to Claim

Automatic Payment

Most people who are eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment do not need to make a claim.

If you receive the State Pension or certain qualifying benefits and meet the age and residence requirements, your payment will normally be made automatically.

When You Need to Claim

Some people may need to make a claim, including certain people who have deferred their State Pension or who do not receive benefits that allow the DWP to pay them automatically.

Claims for the 2026/27 Winter Fuel Payment open from 21 September 2026.

At the time of writing, the government has not yet made the 2026/27 claim form available. Check GOV.UK for the latest claim information before applying.

How to Claim by Post

If you need to make a claim by post, you will need to complete the relevant Winter Fuel Payment claim form once the form for winter 2026/27 becomes available.

The form should be sent to:

Winter Fuel Payment Centre

Mail Handling Site A

Wolverhampton

WV98 1LR

How to Claim Over the Phone

You can contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on:

0800 731 0160

Relay UK is also available if you cannot hear or speak on the phone. Dial 18001 then 0800 731 0160.

The helpline is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

What to Prepare Before You Call

Before contacting the Winter Fuel Payment Centre, it can help to have the following information available:

• Your National Insurance number.
• Your bank or building society details.
• Your date of birth.
• Relevant information about your circumstances.

Can I Opt Out of the Winter Fuel Payment?

Yes. If you are eligible for an automatic Winter Fuel Payment but do not want to receive it, you can opt out.

This may be particularly relevant if your individual income is more than £35,000 and your payment would otherwise be recovered by HMRC.

For winter 2026/27, you can opt out:

• Online through the Manage your State Pension service by 11:59pm on 20 September 2026, if you receive the State Pension.
• Using the government's online opt-out form by 11:59pm on 20 September 2026.
• By calling the helpline before 6pm on 18 September 2026.

You do not need to opt out every year. Once you opt out, you will not receive Winter Fuel Payments in future years unless you opt back in.

If you change your mind, you can contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre to opt back in. To receive the payment for winter 2026/27, you must do this before 31 March 2027.

Additional Help With Energy Costs

The Winter Fuel Payment is not the only form of help available with energy costs.

Depending on your circumstances, you may also be eligible for:

• Cold Weather Payment – Payments for eligible people receiving certain benefits when temperatures in their area meet the required cold-weather criteria.
• Warm Home Discount – Eligible households can receive a discount on their electricity bill. The discount is applied to the energy account rather than being paid directly to the household.
• Fuel vouchers – If you cannot afford to top up a prepayment meter, you may be able to access a fuel voucher through certain local organisations or support schemes.

Energy Price Cap

Energy costs remain an important consideration for households heading into winter.

Ofgem has announced that the energy price cap for a typical household paying by Direct Debit will be £1,723 per year from 1 October to 31 December 2026.

This represents a 4% increase compared with the July to September 2026 price cap.

The price cap does not set a maximum amount that a household can pay for energy. Instead, it limits the unit rates and standing charges that suppliers can charge customers on standard variable tariffs. Your actual bill will depend on how much energy you use, where you live and how you pay.

Recent Updates and Policy Context

The rules surrounding the Winter Fuel Payment changed significantly in 2024 and 2025.

For winter 2024/25, eligibility was substantially restricted, resulting in far fewer pensioners receiving the payment.

The government subsequently announced changes in June 2025 that expanded eligibility again. Under the current system, eligible pensioners can receive the Winter Fuel Payment, while HMRC recovers the payment from most individuals whose total income exceeds £35,000.

This system remains in place for winter 2026/27.

The payment remains worth between £100 and £300 per eligible person, depending on age and household circumstances.

Another important change for 2026/27 is the option to opt out before payments are issued. This allows people who expect their payment to be recovered through the tax system to choose not to receive it in the first place.

Future Outlook

Winter Fuel Payment rules can change between years, so it is important to check the latest government guidance before each winter.

Some of the main areas to watch include whether payment amounts change in future years and whether the £35,000 individual income threshold is altered.

Winter Fuel Payment amounts do not automatically rise each year in line with inflation, meaning future payment levels will depend on government policy.

For winter 2026/27, however, the main payment amounts remain at £100 to £300, while eligibility is primarily determined by age, residence and individual income.