DWP letters about the Winter Fuel Payment are soon being sent to eligible households – but how much you get and how you get it can differ
DWP letters will begin dropping through the letterboxes of households across the UK within days. The letters will tell recipients about a payment worth up to £300 that more than 10 million people are set to receive this year.
The letters, being sent out by the Department for Work and Pensions throughout October and November, will detail exactly how much each person is entitled to. The sum can vary depending on individual circumstances.
Age UK says the payment is designed to assist with heating costs during the colder winter months. The letters will also clarify which bank account the funds will be paid into. The DWP says this is typically the same account used for your State Pension or other benefits.
You are eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born on or before 27 June 1960 and ordinarily live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, though some people will not qualify. Those living in a care home may also be entitled to the Winter Fuel Payment, subject to their circumstances. Find out more on eligibility for the payment here.
Government guidance says that if you live alone or if nobody living with you is eligible for the payment, you will get either £200 if you were born between September 28, 1946 and June 27, 1960, or £300 if you were born before September 28, 1946.
The majority of eligible people will receive the Winter Fuel Payment automatically. Those in receipt of any of 12 benefits are not required to take any action:
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Industrial Death Benefit
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Incapacity Benefit
- State Pension
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- awards from the War Pensions Scheme
If you do not receive any of these benefits, you will need to make a claim if either you have not received the Winter Fuel Payment before, or you have deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment.
You can claim the Winter Fuel Payment by post from 21 September 2026 or by phone on 0800 731 0160 from 19 October 2026. The deadline to submit a claim for winter 2026 to 2027 is 31 March 2027.
Complete a Winter Fuel Payment claim form and send it to the Winter Fuel Payment Centre at the following address: Winter Fuel Payment Centre, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 1LR.
You are also entitled to challenge any decision made about your claim, a process known as requesting a mandatory reconsideration. Should your total income exceed £35,000, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will recover your Winter Fuel Payment. Your partner’s income is not taken into account when calculating your total income.
HMRC Winter Fuel Payment charge – how it works
The gov.uk website says: “You can check if your income is over the threshold. You’ll need to provide the total amount of income you expect to receive in the tax year before any deductions.
“HMRC will usually collect the amount you owe through your tax code. If you complete a Self Assessment tax return, you’ll pay it through your tax bill instead.”
You may also opt out of receiving the Winter Fuel Payment if your income surpasses £35,000 or if you simply do not wish to receive it. The DWP was questioned earlier this year about eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment.
Torsten Bell – Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury) – said in response: “The Winter Fuel Payment is an age-related payment payable to everyone who has reached State Pension age on or before the end of the qualifying week and is ordinarily resident in England or Wales. The qualifying week is set out in legislation and is the third full week of September, for winter 2026/27 that is 21 to 27 September 2026.
“The State Pension age for men and women will increase to 67 between 2026 and 2028. People born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 will reach their State Pension age at 66 years and the specified number of months, depending on the exact date they were born.
“Therefore, a person needs to be born on or before 27 June 1960 to have reached State Pension age by the end of the qualifying week to be eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2026/27.”
