Winter Fuel Payments 2025 / 2026

Most people will get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if they’re eligible.

You are eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment if:

• You were born on or before 21 September 1959
• You are living in England or Wales for the qualifying week.
  • The qualifying week is 15 to 21 September 2025.

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’re eligible, you’ll get a letter in October or November from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) saying how much you’ll get and which bank account it will be paid into (this is usually the same account as your State Pension or other benefits).

Most eligible people will be paid in November or December 2025.

Most people get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if they’re eligible.

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:

• You’ve not got the Winter Fuel Payment before
• You’ve deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment

The deadline for you to make a claim for winter 2025 to 2026 is 31 March 2026.

You can claim Winter Fuel Payment by Post - from 15 September 2025

Fill in a Winter Fuel Payment claim form and send it to:

Winter Fuel Payment Centre, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 1LR

You can claim Winter Fuel Payment by Phone - from 13 October 2025
Call the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Before calling make sure you have the following information:

• Your National Insurance number
• Your bank or building society details
• The date you were married or entered into a civil partnership (if appropriate)

You’ll also need to say whether during the qualifying week of 15 to 21 September 2025 you were:

• In hospital getting free in-patient treatment
• In a residential care home or Ilford Park Resettlement Home
• In prison

Alternative options if you require additional support:

Textphone: contact Relay UK on 18001 then 0800 731 0160

British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet

The amount you get is based on when you were born and your circumstances between 15 to 21 September 2025. This is called the ‘qualifying week’.

Any money you get will not affect your other benefits.

• If you or your partner are over State Pension age (66), you could receive £200 towards your bills.
• If you or your partner are over 80, you could receive £300.

If you or your partner receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income related Employment and Support Allowance, one person will be paid the whole Winter Fuel Payment for the household.

If you and your partner do not receive one of these benefits the payment is split between you and the other qualifying people you live with.

If you are 80 years old or older, you will receive:

• £300 if you do not live with anyone else who qualifies for a payment
• £200 if you live with someone else who is under 80 years old and qualifies for a Winter Fuel Payment themselves
• £150 if you live with someone who qualifies and is also 80 or older

If you are under the age of 80, you will receive:

• £200 if you do not live with anyone else who qualifies for a payment
• £100 if you live with someone else who qualifies for a payment

If your taxable income is over £35,000, HMRC will take back your Winter Fuel Payment through the tax system (PAYE or your self assessment tax return).