Heating costs bite hardest when the weather turns, so clarity matters this winter. Following a June 11 U-turn, about nine million pensioners in England and Wales remain covered. Awards range from £100 to £300. Most payments arrive automatically after letters in October or November. However, five over-66 groups now fall outside the winter fuel payment rules. The DWP has outlined the categories and key dates. Check your letter for your amount.
Who qualifies this season and how support works
Eligibility depends on age and residence rules set by the DWP. People in England and Wales born before 22 September 1959 may qualify, and many receive letters explaining amounts and timing. Letters precede payments, while the winter fuel payment usually arrives automatically. Support targets heating costs in colder months.
Following the Government decision on June 11, payments continue for about nine million pensioners. Awards range from £100 to £300 depending on circumstances, and most people need not apply. Letters arrive in October or November, and funds typically land in accounts in November or December. Keep letters safely.
Check official instructions and call reputable helplines if something is unclear. Watch out for messages requesting passwords, fees, or banking information that seem to be from government services. Updates will be posted on GOV.UK or other approved channels, and legitimate communications won’t ask for this kind of information. Treat unexpected calls with caution.
Five groups excluded from the winter fuel payment
The DWP has confirmed five categories of over-66s who will not qualify. People earning over £35,000 a year fall outside the criteria, as do those barred by immigration status. Several residence-based cases also apply, limiting access to the winter fuel payment despite age eligibility. These exclusions reflect rules.
You do not qualify if you were in hospital and received free treatment for the entire qualifying week. The dates are 15 to 21 September 2025. The same rule also applies to the equivalent qualifying week in the preceding year. People imprisoned for that full week also fall outside eligibility.
Care-home residents face a specific combination rule. You will not qualify if you receive income-related benefits. These include Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA, and income-related ESA. It applies when you have lived in the care home for a full year from 23 June 2025 or earlier.
Over £35,000, tax recoupment, PAYE and opting out
If your annual income exceeds £35,000 in the 2025/26 tax year, you do not keep it. The following year, HMRC will adjust your tax code to reclaim the amount through the Pay As You Earn system. This process is automatic and appears within routine payroll deductions. No action needed.
Different steps apply if you are self-employed or a higher-income earner. In those cases, the payment is reclaimed when you complete a Self Assessment return for the year. If you prefer, you can opt out of receiving the winter fuel payment rather than have it recouped later.
Keep your notice of coding and any letters for reference, because they show how the reclaim is applied. Any change normally appears through PAYE in the following tax year, reports the Express. If figures look wrong, contact HMRC so an adviser can review your records in detail.
Hospital stays, prison sentences, and immigration rules
Eligibility hinges on a defined qualifying week in September. Entitlement falls away when someone spends the entire week in hospital receiving free treatment. The same outcome applies when a person is in prison for that full period. These conditions suspend entitlement during the specified dates. Dates are fixed.
Another exclusion involves immigration status that restricts access to public funds. If you need permission to enter the UK, you may be excluded. When your leave says you cannot claim public funds, you will not qualify. Check your visa conditions before applying for the winter fuel payment or related support.
The qualifying week acts as a snapshot for entitlement. If your circumstances change after that week, eligibility can resume for later periods, subject to the same rules. Keep documents that prove dates, because clear evidence helps resolve questions about treatment, custody, or residence across the boundary dates.
Care homes, devolved nations, and the winter fuel payment
Some care-home residents remain eligible, although the combined benefit-and-duration rule can remove entitlement. If both conditions apply, payment is not made for that period, even when age criteria are met. Residents should keep benefit letters and tenancy dates available in case an assessor asks for verification. That speeds checks.
Rules differ slightly across the UK. Pensioners in Northern Ireland may receive support from the Northern Ireland Executive, using the same criteria as England and Wales. Scotland uses a separate pension age winter heating payment, not the winter fuel payment. Residents should review Scottish guidance for details.
Use the proper channels to get in touch with the DWP if you think you were wrongfully excluded. Teams can react more rapidly if you have your National Insurance number and pertinent dates on hand. Never reply to unsolicited emails or texts with your banking information, and disregard links that ask for passwords or fees.
What to do if your eligibility has changed
Read every letter carefully, then check your details against the rules published by the DWP. If your situation fits an exclusion, note the key dates and keep evidence in a safe place. Where you think a mistake occurred, raise it through official contacts and include supporting documents. You can confirm timelines with helplines before challenging a decision. Handled well, the winter fuel payment process remains straightforward. Keep copies of forms and emails.
We were told that in may and June and April and August too that we will be getting winter warm allowance were is it’s now he says we will get it November when will that be 😆😆😆 this is a joke he may say it in December too