The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that people over the State Pension age can now claim this year’s Winter Fuel Payment by post, and over the phone from 15 October.
Winter Fuel Payments will be automatically issued to approximately nine million people in England and Wales. Those born before 22 September 1959 will receive between £100 – £300 during November and December, with a prior letter detailing the exact amount they should anticipate.
According to UK Government online guidance, there are two specific groups of people who may need to claim Winter Fuel Payment, but it’s crucial to note that this can only be done by post or over the phone, reports the Daily Record.
Scam Alert
If you receive a text or an email instructing you to claim by clicking on a link or dialling a number, it is a scam. The DWP has already issued warnings about these fraudulent messages on social media, urging pensioners to report them.
Check if you need to claim
The DWP stated that most people will automatically receive the Winter Fuel Payment if they are eligible during the qualifying week – this week – 15 – 21 September 2025.
You do not need to claim if you get any of the following:
- State pension
- Pension credit
- Universal credit
- Attendance allowance
- Personal independence payment (PIP)
- Carer’s allowance
- Disability living allowance (DLA)
- Income support
- income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
- Income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)
- awards from the war pensions scheme
- Industrial injuries disablement benefit
- Incapacity benefit
- Industrial death benefit
If you do not get any of these, you need to claim if either of the following apply:
How to claim
You can claim Winter Fuel Payment by:
- post
- phone (from October 13, 2025)
The deadline to make a claim for winter 2025 to 2026 is March 31, 2026.
Full details on how to claim by post or over the phone can be found on GOV.UK here.
Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments
You can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born before September 22, 1959 and live in England or Wales.
When you will not be eligible
You will not be eligible if you:
- live outside England and Wales
- were in hospital getting free treatment for the whole of the week of 15 to 21 September 2025 and the year before that
- need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says that you cannot claim public funds
- were in prison for the whole of the week of 15 to 21 September 2025
If you live in a care home
You can get Winter Fuel Payment if you live in a care home, however, you will not be eligible if both of the following apply:
- you get Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- you lived in a care home for the whole time from 23 June 2025 or earlier
Payments
DWP guidance explains: “You’ll get a letter in October or November telling you how much Winter Fuel Payment you’ll get, if you’re eligible. If you do not get a letter but think you’re eligible, check if you need to make a claim.”
It’s crucial to recognise that fraudsters may attempt to deceive you into making a claim via text message, encouraging you to click on a link. This is not a legitimate DWP communication and should be removed. If you believe you need to claim, follow the guidance on GOV.UK here.
The sum you receive depends on when you were born and your circumstances between 15 to 21 September 2025. This period is known as the ‘qualifying week’. Any funds you receive will not impact your other benefits.
If you live alone or no one you live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment
You will get either:
- £200 if you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959
- £300 if you were born before September 22, 1945
If you live with someone else who is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment
Your payment may be different if you get one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
If you do not get any of the benefits
You will get a payment of:
- £100 if you and the person you live with were both born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959
- £100 if you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959 but the person you live with was born before September 22, 1945
- £200 if you were born before September 22, 1945 but the person you live with was born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959
- £150 if you and the person you live with were born before September 22, 1945
If you and your partner jointly claim any of the benefits
One of you will get a payment of either:
- £200 if both of you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959
- £300 if one or both of you were born before September 22, 1945
The money will be paid into the bank account your benefits are usually paid into.
If you get any of the benefits (not as part of a joint claim)
You will get a payment of either:
- £200 if you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959
- £300 if you were born before September 22, 1945
If your income is more than £35,000
HMRC will take back all of your Winter Fuel Payment through either PAYE or your Self Assessment tax return. The opt-out window for pensioners in England and Wales closed on September 15.
If you live in a care home
If you are eligible you’ll get either:
- £100 if you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959
- £150 if you were born before September 22, 1945
When you will get paid
The DWP confirmed that most payments will be processed automatically in November or December.
You should receive a letter informing you:
- how much you’ll get
- which bank account it will be paid into – this is usually the same account as your State Pension or other benefits
The DWP said: “If you do not get a letter or the money has not been paid into your account by 28 January 2026, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.”
Complete information on what you will need before contacting the Winter Fuel Payment Centre can be found on GOV.UK here.
