Qualifying week for Winter Fuel Payment and Pension Age Winter Heating Payments runs from September 15 to 21, 2025.
08:56, 15 Sep 2025Updated 15:17, 15 Sep 2025
Qualifying week for Winter Fuel Payments and Pension Age Winter Heating Payments runs from Monday, September 15 until Sunday, September 21. This week will determine whether people over State Pension age – born before September 22, 1959 – will receive the annual heating help of up to £305.
Pensioners in Scotland who meet the eligibility criteria will receive a one-off payment of £101.70, £203.40 or £305.10, depending on their age and household mix. Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a one-off payment of £100, £200 or £300, depending on their age and household mix.
Letters will be issued to all pensioners from next month while payments will be issued over November and December. Payments for pensioners in Scotland will be delivered by Social Security Scotland and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for those resident in England and Wales.
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An estimated 880,000 pensioners in Scotland are set to receive the money along with 9 million in England and Wales.
Opting out
Opting out may be the best option for those with an annual income of more than £35,00 as any Winter Fuel Payment or Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will be clawed back by the UK Government through HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
England and Wales
Pensioners choosing to opt-out of receiving the Winter Fuel Payment this year must either complete the opt out form online by the end of Monday, September 15, or call the helpline on 08007310160 before 6pm on Monday, September 15.
Scotland
For pensioners with a taxable income of over £35,000, the payment will be taken back through the Self Assessment tax system during 2026/27. However, people can choose to opt out of receiving the payment by completing the online form on the MyGov website by October 10, 2025.
Below is an overview of both payments including amounts due, eligibility and who may need to claim.
Pension Age Winter Heating Payment
An eligibility checker has been created on the MYGOV.SCOT website to help people find out how much they are likely to receive.
Payment rates
A full breakdown of payments for single pensioners and married couples of the same or mixed ages, can be found on MYGOV.SCOT, but as a general guide:
£101.70 – pensioners living in residential care£2003.40 – single pensioners born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959£305.10 -single pensioners born before September 22, 1945
A small number of people will need to apply and must do so before the deadline on March 31, 2026.
These include people who have deferred their State Pension or are a couple with a joint award for Pension Credit, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support or Universal Credit and the main person getting that benefit is under State Pension age.
Payments will go into the same bank account as your State Pension, or any Social Security Scotland benefits you get with the reference ‘PAWHP’. You can check whether you need to apply on the MYGOV website.
Qualifying week for Winter Fuel Payment and Pension Age Winter Heating Payments runs from September 15 to 21, 2025.(Image: Getty Images )Eligibility for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment
Social Security Scotland will look at your situation during the qualifying week of Monday September 15 to Sunday September 21, 2025.
To be eligible, you must have:
been born on, or before, September 21, 1959lived in Scotland on at least the last day of the qualifying week
You will not be eligible if you:
were in hospital getting free treatment for the whole qualifying week and the 52 weeks leading up to itwere in custody, under a sentence imposed by a court, for the whole qualifying weekneed permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says you cannot claim public fundsIf you live in residential care
Residential care means a care home or a hospital that is not part of the NHS.
You will be eligible if:
You were born on, or before, September 21, 1959live in Scotland
You will not be eligible if all of the following apply:
you were in residential care for the whole qualifying week (September 15-21)you went into care before June 23, 2025you got any of these benefits during the qualifying week – Pension Credit, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support or Universal CreditWinter Fuel Payment
You can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born before September 22, 1959 and live in England or Wales.
When you will not be eligible
You will not be eligible if you:
live outside England and Wales (full Scotland details here)were in hospital getting free treatment for the whole of the week of 15 to 21 September 2025 and the year before thatneed permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says that you cannot claim public fundswere in prison for the whole of the week of 15 to 21 September 2025If you live in a care home
You can get Winter Fuel Payment if you live in a care home, however, you will not be eligible if both of the following apply:
you get Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)you lived in a care home for the whole time from 23 June 2025 or earlierPaymentsIf you live alone or no one you live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment
You will get either:
£200 if you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959£300 if you were born before September 22, 1945If you live with someone else who is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment
Your payment may be different if you get one of the following benefits:
Pension CreditUniversal Creditincome-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)Income SupportIf you do not get any of the benefits
You will get a payment of:
£100 if you and the person you live with were both born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959£100 if you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959 but the person you live with was born before September 22, 1945£200 if you were born before September 22, 1945 but the person you live with was born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959£150 if you and the person you live with were born before September 22, 1945If you and your partner jointly claim any of the benefits
One of you will get a payment of either:
£200 if both of you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959£300 if one or both of you were born before September 22, 1945
The money will be paid into the bank account your benefits are usually paid into.
If you get any of the benefits (not as part of a joint claim)
You will get a payment of either:
£200 if you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959£300 if you were born before September 22, 1945If your income is more than £35,000
HMRC will take back all of your Winter Fuel Payment through either PAYE or your Self Assessment tax return.
If you live in a care home
If you are eligible you’ll get either:
£100 if you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959£150 if you were born before September 22, 1945When you will get paid
DWP said most payments will be made automatically in November or December.
You should get a letter telling you:
how much you’ll getwhich bank account it will be paid into – this is usually the same account as your State Pension or other benefits
DWP added: “If you do not get a letter or the money has not been paid into your account by 28 January 2026, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.”
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