Winter Fuel Payment: Who Gets It and How to Claim

The Winter Fuel Payment has changed so many times in the last few years that a lot of people have stopped assuming anything about it. One winter it arrived, the next it did not, and the rules seemed to shift again before anyone had finished reading them. If you are not sure whether you will get it this year, you are in good company. 💚

Here is where the rules actually stand for winter 2026 to 2027, and what you need to do about it.

1. Who qualifies this winter

The main test is your date of birth. If you were born on or before 27 June 1960, you could get a Winter Fuel Payment this year.

The second test is where you live. You must usually live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. The qualifying week for this winter is 21 to 27 September 2026.

If you live in Scotland, you cannot get the Winter Fuel Payment. You may be eligible for the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment instead, which is run by the Scottish Government. Check mygov.scot for details.

You will not be eligible if you were in hospital getting free treatment for the whole of the qualifying week and the year before it, or in prison for the whole of that week. If you live in a care home you can usually still get it, unless you get Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA and have lived in the care home since 29 June 2026 or earlier.

There is no separate application for most people. If you get the State Pension or another benefit, the payment is worked out and sent to you without you doing anything.

Simple action: Check your date of birth against 27 June 1960. If you were born on or before it and live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, the rest of this guide applies to you.

2. How much you will get

The amount depends on your age and on who else lives with you. The figures below are for winter 2026 to 2027.

If you live alone, or nobody else in your home qualifies:

• Born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960: £200
• Born before 28 September 1946: £300

If you live with someone else who also qualifies, and neither of you gets a qualifying benefit:

• Both of you born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960: £100 each
• You born in that range, your partner born before 28 September 1946: £100
• You born before 28 September 1946, your partner born in that range: £200
• Both of you born before 28 September 1946: £150 each

If you and your partner have a joint claim for Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA, one of you receives the whole amount for the household:

• Both born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960: £200
• One or both born before 28 September 1946: £300

If you live in a care home:

• Born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960: £100
• Born before 28 September 1946: £150

Example: A couple both aged 72, living together, neither claiming a qualifying benefit, would receive £100 each. The same couple, if one of them had a joint Pension Credit claim, would receive £200 in a single payment instead.

💡 Tip: The couples' rates catch people out because the payment is split rather than doubled. If you are expecting £200 each and receive £100 each, that is not an error. It is how the household rules work.

3. The £35,000 income rule

This is the part that is new to most people, and it is the reason so many are unsure whether the payment is worth expecting.

If your total income is over £35,000, you will still receive the Winter Fuel Payment, but HMRC will take it back afterwards through the tax system. You do not have to calculate anything or send anything back. It is recovered automatically.

Two details matter here. The threshold applies to your income, not your household's, so your partner's income is not added to yours for this test. And the recovery happens after the payment lands, which means the money will appear in your account in the winter and be adjusted later.

If you would rather not receive a payment that will be taken back, you can opt out. That is a personal preference rather than a requirement, and most people leave the system to handle it.

Simple action: If your income is comfortably under £35,000, this rule does not affect you at all and you can stop thinking about it.

4. When the money arrives

Most people are paid in November or December 2026.

Before that, you should receive a letter in October or November telling you how much you will get. The letter is worth keeping. If the payment does not arrive, it is the first thing you will be asked about.

The money goes into the same account where you receive your State Pension or benefits. It appears as a separate payment rather than being added to your usual amount, so it is easy to spot on a statement.

💡 Tip: If January arrives and you have had neither a letter nor a payment, do not assume you were found ineligible. Missed payments are usually an address or account problem rather than a decision about you, and they are straightforward to sort out with one phone call.

5. If you need to make a claim

Most people never have to. You will need to claim, though, if you do not receive any of these: State Pension, Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Carer's Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, income-related ESA, a War Pensions Scheme award, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Incapacity Benefit or Industrial Death Benefit.

You will also need to claim if you have never had a Winter Fuel Payment before, or if you have deferred your State Pension since the last time you received one.

Claims for winter 2026 to 2027 open from 21 September 2026. You can claim by phone or by post.

By phone, call the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160, open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. If you cannot hear or speak on the phone, you can use Relay UK by dialling 18001 followed by the same number.

By post, write to the Winter Fuel Payment Centre, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 1LR.

Simple action: If you think you fall into the group that has to claim, put a note in your diary for 21 September. Claiming early avoids the queue that builds later in the autumn.

6. What to do if something looks wrong

If your circumstances changed during the year, tell the Winter Fuel Payment Centre. A change of address, a change of bank account, a move into or out of a care home, or a bereavement can all affect what you receive or where it is sent.

If you have moved and not updated your address, the payment can easily go astray.

💡 Tip: Be wary of calls, texts or emails about the Winter Fuel Payment that ask for your bank details. Most people do not need to apply at all, and Gov.uk warns that any message asking for your bank details or passwords could be a scam. If something looks suspicious, do not reply, and check on Gov.uk instead.

The Winter Fuel Payment is not means-tested in the way Pension Credit is, so a modest amount of savings will not affect it. The only income test is the £35,000 rule described above.

7. Quick answers

Do husband and wife both get the Winter Fuel Payment?

Usually the payment is shared rather than doubled. If you both qualify and neither of you gets a qualifying benefit, you normally get £100 each, or £150 each if you were both born before 28 September 1946. If you have a joint claim for Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA, one of you receives the whole amount for the household.

How do I claim the Winter Fuel Payment?

Most people do not need to. It is paid automatically if you get the State Pension or another qualifying benefit. If you do need to claim, call the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160 from 21 September 2026, or write to the address in section 5.

Do I have to apply for the Winter Fuel Payment every year?

No. Once you are getting it, it is paid each winter as long as you still qualify.

What if my income is over £35,000?

You still receive the payment, and HMRC takes it back through the tax system. Only your own income counts, not your partner's.

Can I get it if I live in Scotland?

No. Scotland has its own Pension Age Winter Heating Payment instead.

Heating a home through a British winter is one of those costs that does not care what your income is, and the Winter Fuel Payment exists precisely because that cost lands hardest on people whose income is fixed. If you qualify, it is yours. There is nothing to feel awkward about in receiving it, and nothing clever required to get it. 💛

If you are unsure whether you qualify or want to check your own circumstances, start at Gov.uk, which sets out the current rules in full.

If the Winter Fuel Payment is not the only thing you might be missing, our guide to Pension Credit explains a top-up that many eligible people never claim, and our checklist of free benefits for over-60s in the UK covers the rest. For the pension itself, our guide to the UK State Pension explains how your entitlement is worked out. If you are in Ireland rather than the UK, our guide to the Fuel Allowance covers the equivalent payment there. If you are in England or Wales, our guide to the Warm Home Discount and Cold Weather Payments covers two more schemes that help with heating costs. Browse more Una guides for plain English help with money and benefits in later life.