Checked November 11, 2026, at 10:53 p.m. in London (GMT, UTC+00:00).
The 2026–27 DWP Winter Fuel Payment is being paid this winter. In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, people born on or before June 27, 1960, may qualify for £100 to £300 if they meet the residence and other rules for the qualifying week, September 21–27, 2026. Most eligible people are paid automatically in November or December. If you are not covered by automatic payment, you may need to claim by March 31, 2027.
The quickest eligibility check is to confirm your birth date, where you usually live, and whether you received a qualifying benefit or the Winter Fuel Payment before. Also check the £35,000 individual-income recovery rule: income above that amount does not usually stop the payment being issued, but HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will recover it. The rules differ in Scotland, where Pension Age Winter Heating Payment replaces the DWP scheme.
You may qualify if you were born on or before June 27, 1960, and usually live in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. DWP uses the qualifying week of September 21–27, 2026, to check relevant circumstances. A short visit to England, Wales, or Northern Ireland does not make someone eligible if they usually live somewhere else.
Other exclusions can apply. You generally cannot receive the payment if you were in prison for the whole qualifying week, had free inpatient hospital treatment for the whole qualifying week and the previous year, or have immigration permission that prevents you from claiming public funds. People who live in a care home can qualify, but a separate restriction applies if they receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit, or income-related Employment and Support Allowance and had lived in a care home throughout the period starting June 29, 2026.
Use DWP’s full eligibility guidance if any of those details may apply. The rules are date-specific, so do not rely on an old payment letter or last winter’s circumstances alone. Check the official 2026–27 eligibility rules on GOV.UK.
The payment is between £100 and £300. The amount depends on your date of birth, whether you live with another eligible person, whether you receive certain benefits as part of a joint claim, and whether you live in a care home.
For a simple example, an eligible person who lives alone—or lives with someone who is not eligible—usually gets £200 if born from September 28, 1946, through June 27, 1960, and £300 if born before September 28, 1946. If you live with another eligible person, the payment may be divided or set at a different amount. DWP’s payment table covers those household situations.
The payment does not affect other benefits. However, if your own total income for the tax year is over £35,000, HMRC will take the Winter Fuel Payment back, usually through your tax code or Self Assessment. Your partner’s income is not included in your personal £35,000 threshold. That means the payment can still be issued automatically even if HMRC later recovers it. See DWP’s 2026–27 payment amounts and how HMRC handles income over £35,000.
Most eligible people do not need to apply. Automatic payment normally applies if you receive the State Pension or certain benefits, including Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Carer’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, income-related ESA, or specified war and industrial injury benefits. DWP lists the complete group of qualifying benefits in its claim guidance.
You may need to claim if you do not receive one of the listed benefits and either you have never received a Winter Fuel Payment before or you deferred your State Pension after your last payment. If you are unsure, use the official “check if you need to claim” guidance rather than submitting a duplicate claim.
For winter 2026–27, claims can be made by post or phone. Postal claims opened September 21, 2026, and phone claims opened October 19, 2026. The deadline is March 31, 2027.
Use contact information reached through GOV.UK. DWP warns that messages asking you to provide personal information, bank details, or passwords can be scams. Do not respond to an unexpected text or email with those details. Read the claim instructions and get the official form and contact details.
Most eligible people will receive a letter in October or November saying how much they will get and which bank account will be used. Most payments are scheduled for November or December 2026, often into the same account used for the State Pension or other benefits. Not seeing the money in early November does not by itself mean that you are ineligible.
If you expected an automatic payment but have not received the letter or the money by January 27, 2027, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre. If you know that you must claim, do not wait for a letter: submit the claim before March 31, 2027. If DWP turns down your claim and you think the decision is wrong, you can ask for a mandatory reconsideration.
Check DWP’s payment timetable and what to do about a missing payment.
The DWP Winter Fuel Payment is not available to people who live in Scotland. The Scottish Government’s Pension Age Winter Heating Payment is the replacement. Most eligible people receive it automatically; the Scottish guidance says 2026–27 letters are being sent from November 2026. Check the separate eligibility and application rules through mygov.scot’s Pension Age Winter Heating Payment page.
Usually not. Most eligible State Pension recipients are paid automatically, but check DWP’s rules if you deferred your pension or your circumstances changed.
It does not usually prevent the payment from being issued, but HMRC will recover the full amount if your own total income is over £35,000. A partner’s income does not count toward your threshold.
DWP must receive your claim by March 31, 2027.
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