Winter Fuel Payments will be issued by the DWP and most people will receive them automatically
Some pensioners will soon receive extra support for their bills(Image: Getty Images)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed the date when pensioners can claim their Winter Fuel Payment, which could be worth up to £300.
Winter Fuel Payments will be issued by the DWP to people born before September 22, 1959, with most recipients receiving their payment automatically.
New rules this year also mean some pensioners may have to repay their Winter Fuel Payment.
Automatic payments will be made to those claiming one of the following benefits during the qualifying week of September 15 to 21, 2025:
State PensionIncome-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)Industrial Death BenefitIncapacity BenefitIncome-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)Personal Independence Payment (PIP)Income SupportPension CreditUniversal CreditDisability Living Allowance (DLA)Carer’s AllowanceIndustrial Injuries Disablement BenefitAttendance AllowanceAwards from the War Pensions Scheme
However, two groups will need to submit a claim either by post or over the phone:
You’ve not had the Winter Fuel Payment beforeYou’ve deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment
Applications can be submitted by post from September 15, or by phone from October 15, reports the Mirror.
For those whose annual income exceeds £35,000, the Winter Fuel Payment will be automatically reclaimed by HMRC through PAYE, or via a self-assessment return. People in this income bracket also have the option to decline the payment, with further details yet to be confirmed.
The income eligibility is determined on an individual basis.
For instance, if two people live together and one earns £30,000 per annum while the other earns £40,000, one person would retain their portion of the Winter Fuel Payment whilst the other would repay it.
Winter Fuel Payments amount to £200 for qualifying households, or £300 for those households with someone aged over 80. Eligibility is determined by the person’s age at the end of the qualifying week.
In the previous round of Winter Fuel Payments, those who had been in hospital receiving free treatment for more than a year, were incarcerated during the qualifying week, or resided in a care home during the qualifying week were not eligible.
Those who lived in a care home for more than 13 weeks, including the qualifying week, were also ineligible.
Labour estimates approximately nine million pensioners will receive Winter Fuel Payments this year.