Some people will not be getting the money this year ahead of key dates – list
Qualifying week for this year’s winter fuel payment of between £1-300 is looming – but the DWP has confirmed some people will not be getting the money. The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual, tax-free lump sum of between £100 and £300 given by the UK government to help older people pay their heating bills during the winter.
The amount you get is based on when you were born and your circumstances between 21 to 27 September 2026. This is called the ‘qualifying week’. People will get a letter in October or November telling you how much Winter Fuel Payment you’ll get, if they’re eligible.
The Winter Fuel Payment qualifying week is a specific 7-day period used by the government to decide if you meet the age, residency, and personal circumstance rules to get the winter heating grant. For the winter 2026 to 2027 payment, the qualifying week runs from Monday 21 to Sunday 27 September 2026.
You can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born on or before 27 June 1960 and usually live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
But Department for Work and Pensions officials have confirmed there are four groups of people who will not get the winter fuel payment in 2026 even if they were born in time. If taxable income is over £35,000, the payment is recovered through the tax system.
However there are actually four groups of people who will not be eligible if they were born here and meet the cash and age criteria.
Not be eligible for WFP if the person:
- usually lives outside England, Wales or Northern Ireland
- was in hospital getting free treatment for the whole of the week of 21 to 27 September 2026 and the year before that
- need permission to enter the UK and their granted leave says that they cannot claim public funds
- was in prison for the whole of the week of 21 to 27 September 2026
If you live in a care home
- You can get Winter Fuel Payment if you live in a care home. You will not be eligible if both of the following apply:
- you get 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
It’s going to be especially important this year. Experts have warned that households could be facing further pain on energy bills as oil prices surge above 100 dollars a barrel and UK gas prices reach a near four-year high.
Traders in the financial markets were reacting to attacks on Iranian oil tankers and concerns about further disruptions to supply amid ongoing fighting in the Middle East. US officials said on Tuesday night that multiple tankers had been struck in retaliation to more attempted missile attacks on a Navy warship.
The news sent the price of Brent crude oil up by nearly 3% to around 100.50 dollars a barrel on Wednesday afternoon. The last time prices went above the 100 dollars a barrel mark was in late July.
Furthermore, UK natural gas prices were up by about 3% to around 195p per therm, which is a unit of heat energy – hitting the highest level since December 2022.
The latest strikes in the Middle East show fighting between the US and Iran continues to escalate after more than six months of war, weighing on hopes among investors that a peace deal can be reached this year.
Rising oil costs and disruption to supplies are also influencing fuel prices, which have gone up further in recent days. The latest data from the RAC showed the average price of petrol has increased by 5p a litre in the last week to reach 167.17p, and diesel has risen by the same amount to 188.63p.
The last time unleaded petrol prices were that high was four years ago, according to the motoring group.
Furthermore, experts warned that the latest surge in wholesale prices could feed through into consumer energy bills in the winter.
Ofgem’s energy price cap will rise by 4% in October, and analysts are predicting a bigger hike to the price cap in the new year.
Andrew Goodwin, chief UK economist for Oxford Economics, said: “The increase in wholesale gas prices has more than offset the saving from the Government removing VAT from electricity bills between October and March.
“We think the price cap could rise by another 13% in January – wholesale prices are currently well above the level of the previous observation window, and our commodities team expect them to remain high in the near term.”
Simon Francis, who coordinates the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “The wholesale cost of gas has hit a high not seen since December 2022, while heating oil prices have also surged upwards again.
“The Ofgem price cap for January is being calculated on prices like these, which means it could be brutal for households already struggling.
“Those who use heating oil or are on some heat networks and are not on the price cap may see increases even sooner.”
He called on the Government to provide targeted support for struggling households and those in energy debt and “back the long-term energy efficiency measures that can protect the public from future market volatility”.
Simon Cran-McGreehin, head of analysis at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said gas prices had not fully recovered from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, while the Iran war meant households and businesses were facing another winter of rising bills.
“Only by getting off gas and oil can we protect ourselves from volatile international fossil fuel markets,” he said.
Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club, said: “Far from showing signs of resolution, the conflict in the Middle East appears to be becoming more entrenched, creating chronic supply concerns around crude and gas, while intensifying trade battles threaten to push up the cost of goods just as central banks are trying to get inflation under control.
“Given the sustained impact of higher energy prices, the worry is that firms will have little choice, other than to raise prices, which risks creating another inflationary spiral.”
