Regan Brown
Winter Fuel Payment is an annual payment to help with heating costs during the colder months in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The payment is made to those over the state pension age, who do not opt out. For the winter of 2025-2026, individuals born before 22 September 1959 can receive between £100 and £300. 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 under 80 who qualifies, and £150 if you live with someone who qualifies and is also 80 or older.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | Born before 22 September 1959 |
| Amount | £100-£300 |
| Payment method | Paid into the bank account your benefits are usually paid into |
| Opt-out method | Filling in a form or calling the helpline |
| Opt-out deadline | 31 March 2026 |
| Eligibility rules | Income under £35,000 |
| Eligibility rules | Not receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) |
| Eligibility rules | Not living in a care home |
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What You'll Learn
Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payment
The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual tax-free benefit to help older people cover the rising cost of heating during the colder months. The payment amount varies between £100 and £300, depending on age, income, and living situation.
If you were born before 22 September 1959, you could be eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment. People aged 80 or older receive £300. If you are under 80 years old, you will receive £200. If you live with someone else who is under 80 years old and qualifies for a Winter Fuel Payment, you will receive £200. If you live with someone who qualifies and is also 80 or older, you will receive £150. If you live alone, you will receive twice as much as a household where more than one person receives the payment.
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.
You are not eligible for Winter Fuel Payment if your income is over £35,000, as HMRC will take your Winter Fuel Payment back. You can check if your income is over the threshold and how HMRC will take it back. You can opt out of getting the Winter Fuel Payment if you do not want to receive it.
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How much you'll get
The amount of money you'll receive as an 80-year-old depends on your living situation and whether you share your home with someone else who qualifies for a Winter Fuel Payment. If you don't live with anyone else who qualifies for a payment, you will receive £300. If you live with someone else who is under 80 years old and qualifies for a Winter Fuel Payment themselves, you will receive £200. If you live with someone who qualifies and is also 80 or older, you will receive £150.
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.
You are not entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment if you live in a care home and receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit, or income-related Employment and Support Allowance. If you live in a care home and don't receive one of these benefits, your Winter Fuel Payment is £100 if you are under 80, and if you are aged 80 or older, you will receive £200.
Most eligible people will be paid in November or December 2025. If your income is over £35,000, HMRC will take your Winter Fuel Payment back. You can check if your income is over the threshold and how HMRC will take it back. You can also opt out of getting the Winter Fuel Payment if you do not want to receive it.
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Opting out
If you are aged 80 or older and live alone, you will receive £300 as a Winter Fuel Payment. If you live with someone else who is under 80 years old and qualifies for a Winter Fuel Payment, you will receive £200. If you live with someone who qualifies and is also 80 or older, you will receive £150.
If you do not want to receive a Winter Fuel Payment, you can opt out. To do so, you can contact the Winter Fuel Payment helpline on 0800 731 0160 or go online at www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-to-claim. You will need to inform them that you do not want to receive the payment. The deadline to opt out for the 2025-2026 tax year was 15 September 2025. However, if you change your mind, you can still make a claim by 31 March 2026.
It is important to note that if your income is over £35,000 by the end of the financial year, the Winter Fuel Payment will be recovered through the tax system. This means that you may want to opt out if you know your income will be above the threshold, so you simply don't get the payment rather than having it clawed back. The government will take the Winter Fuel Payment back by either changing your tax code for the relevant tax year or adding the amount to your Self Assessment tax return.
While there is an option to opt out, you may prefer to receive the payment in case you need help with your heating bills during the colder months. Additionally, if you earn under £35,000 but don't feel you want the money, you could consider donating it to charity so they can claim the Gift Aid on top.
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Reclaiming payments
If you are 80 years old or older, you will receive a Winter Fuel Payment of £300 if you do not live with anyone else who qualifies for a payment. If you live with someone else who is under 80 years old and qualifies for a Winter Fuel Payment themselves, you will receive £200. If you live with someone who qualifies and is also 80 or older, you will receive £150.
If your income is over £35,000, HMRC will take your Winter Fuel Payment back. You can check if your income is over the threshold and how HMRC will take it back. HMRC will take your Winter Fuel Payment back by either changing your tax code for the 2026-2027 tax year or adding the amount to your 2025-2026 Self Assessment tax return.
If you do not want to receive a Winter Fuel Payment, you can opt out by contacting the Winter Fuel Payment helpline on 0800 731 0160 or online at www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-to-claim. If you change your mind later, you can still make a claim by 31 March 2026.
If you are eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment, you will get a letter in October or November saying how much you will get, and you will be paid in November or December 2025. If you think you are eligible but have not received a letter or payment, you can contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre by phone or mail to claim your payment.
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Payment dates
If you were born before 22 September 1959, you could be eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment of between £100 and £300 to help with your heating bills for winter 2025 to 2026. Most eligible people will receive their Winter Fuel Payment in November or December 2025.
If you are 80 years old or older and you do not live with anyone else who qualifies for a payment, you will receive £300. If you live with someone else who is under 80 years old and qualifies for a Winter Fuel Payment themselves, you will receive £200. If you live with someone who qualifies and is also 80 or older, you will receive £150.
If you live in a care home from 23 June to 21 September 2025 and you receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit, or income-related Employment and Support Allowance, you are not entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment. If you live in a care home and you don't receive any of these benefits, your Winter Fuel Payment is £100 if you are under 80 and £200 if you are 80 or older.
If your income is over £35,000, HMRC will take your Winter Fuel Payment back. They can do this by changing your tax code for the 2026 to 2027 tax year or adding the amount to your 2025 to 2026 Self Assessment tax return.
You can opt out of getting the Winter Fuel Payment if you do not want to receive it. If you change your mind later, you can still make a claim by 31 March 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
£200.
£150.
£300.
If you receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit, or income-related Employment and Support Allowance, your Winter Fuel Payment is £100.
