If your income is over £35,000 and you would rather not deal with the clawback, you have to tell DWP before the payment is made. For winter 2026/27 the deadline is 20 September 2026 online, or before 6pm on 18 September 2026 by phone. Miss it and the payment goes out anyway, and HMRC recovers it through your tax code or Self Assessment later. See opting out below.
Who qualifies for winter 2026/27
The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual, tax-free payment from the Department for Work and Pensions towards heating costs. For this winter there are three tests: your date of birth, where you live, and whether one of a small set of exclusions applies. There is no savings test, no requirement to own your home and no need to be claiming any other benefit.
- 1 Were you born on or before 27 June 1960?→ If yes, you are old enough for winter 2026/27. If you were born after that date you are below State Pension age for this winter and will qualify in a future year instead.
- 2 Do you usually live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland?→ If yes, the rules on this page apply. Scotland has its own Pension Age Winter Heating Payment from Social Security Scotland. If you live abroad you are not eligible.
- 3 Were you in hospital or prison for the whole qualifying week?→ If you were in prison for the whole of 21 to 27 September 2026, or in hospital getting free treatment for that whole week and the year before it, you are excluded.
- 4 Is your individual taxable income £35,000 or less?→ If yes, you keep the payment in full. If it is above £35,000 you still receive it automatically, but HMRC recovers the whole amount later - unless you opt out first.
The date of birth cut-off moves each year because it tracks State Pension age, which is itself rising from 66 to 67 between April 2026 and April 2028. For winter 2026/27 the line is 27 June 1960. If you were born after that date you are simply too young this year, and you will come into scope in a later winter. Our State Pension age timetable shows exactly when.
How much you get: £100 to £300
This is the part that changed. In previous winters the payment was a flat £200 per household, or £300 where someone was aged 80 or over. For winter 2026/27 the amount depends on your age band, whether another eligible person lives with you, and whether you claim a qualifying means-tested benefit. The older band means born before 28 September 1946, which is broadly the over-80s.
| Your situation | Born 28 Sep 1946 to 27 Jun 1960 | Born before 28 Sep 1946 |
|---|---|---|
| You live alone, or nobody else in your home is eligible | £200 | £300 |
| You live with someone else who is also eligible, and neither of you gets a qualifying benefit | £100 each | £150 each |
| You and your partner have a joint claim for Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA | £200 for the pair | £300 for the pair |
| You get Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA in your own right | £200 | £300 |
| You live in a care home and do not get a qualifying benefit | £100 | £150 |
The payment is designed around the household heating bill, not the individual. Two eligible people sharing a home are heating one house, so they receive £100 each rather than £200 each. The exception is couples on Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related Employment and Support Allowance with a joint claim: they get the full £200 or £300 between them, paid to whoever the claim is in. If you both live in the same home but are not a couple - for example siblings, or a lodger arrangement - you are each assessed in your own right.
The £35,000 clawback explained
This is the part most people get wrong. The £35,000 income limit is not a gate that stops you receiving the payment. Everyone who meets the age and residence tests is paid automatically. If your individual taxable income for the year is over £35,000, HMRC then recovers the full amount afterwards.
- The threshold is per individual. Your partner's income does not count towards your total, so in a couple one of you can be over the line and the other under it.
- It is a cliff edge. At exactly £35,000 you keep the payment in full; at £35,001 the entire payment is recovered. There is no taper.
- "Taxable income" means your total income before allowances: State Pension, private and workplace pensions, earnings, savings interest above your allowances, rental profits and so on.
- Recovery happens through Self Assessment if you file a return, or through an adjustment to your PAYE tax code if you do not. HMRC contacts affected pensioners to explain it.
Worked examples
Situation: Doris receives the full new State Pension plus a small workplace pension, giving her about £20,000 of taxable income. She lives on her own.
- Born after 28 September 1946 and living alone, so her rate is £200.
- Income is comfortably below £35,000, so nothing is clawed back.
- She receives the payment automatically in November or December and keeps all £200.
Situation: Geoff has a large workplace pension taking his taxable income to £40,000. Pat has the State Pension and a small private pension, around £16,000 in total. They live together and neither claims Pension Credit.
- Both eligible and sharing a home, so they get £100 each, not £200 each.
- Pat is under £35,000, so she keeps her £100.
- Geoff is over £35,000, so HMRC recovers his £100 through his tax code. The threshold is individual, so Pat is unaffected by Geoff's income.
- Geoff could opt out before 18 September to skip the tax-code adjustment. Pat should not opt out - she would simply lose £100.
Situation: Margaret was born in 1944 and lives alone. She receives Pension Credit Guarantee Credit on top of her State Pension.
- Born before 28 September 1946, so she is in the higher band: £300.
- Her income is far below £35,000, so there is no clawback.
- Because she is on Pension Credit she also qualifies for the free TV licence, the Warm Home Discount and Cold Weather Payments - the reason Pension Credit is worth claiming even for a few pence a week.
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Opting out, and the deadline
If your income is above £35,000, receiving the payment and having it clawed back leaves you exactly where you started, but with a tax-code change or a Self Assessment entry to deal with. You can avoid that by opting out so the payment is never made.
For winter 2026/27 the deadlines are:
- Online: by 20 September 2026.
- By phone: before 6pm on 18 September 2026.
Opting out is not permanent. If your income falls below the threshold in a later year, you can opt back in and start receiving it again. And if you are near the line, remember the test is on your income for the tax year, not the amount in your bank account - if you are unsure, it is usually simpler to take the payment and let HMRC sort it out than to opt out and be wrong.
When it is paid
Most eligible people get a letter in October or November 2026 confirming the amount, with payment landing in November or December 2026. It goes into the same account as your State Pension or other benefit, and appears on your statement with a reference that includes your National Insurance number and "DWP WFP".
If you believe you qualify and nothing has arrived by late January 2027, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre. Payments are not made after the scheme closes, so do not leave it.
Do I need to claim?
For the large majority, no. If you receive the State Pension or another DWP benefit, the department already has your details and pays automatically.
A minority do need to claim. That typically means people over State Pension age who are not known to DWP: someone who has never claimed any State benefit, someone who has deferred their State Pension and receives nothing else, or someone who recently moved to the UK. Claims for winter 2026/27 can be made by post or phone, and the deadline is 31 March 2027.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
- England, Wales and Northern Ireland: covered by the rules on this page, administered by DWP.
- Scotland: the Winter Fuel Payment has been replaced by the devolved Pension Age Winter Heating Payment from Social Security Scotland, with its own amounts and rules. Check the Social Security Scotland guidance rather than the figures here.
Other winter help worth claiming
The Winter Fuel Payment is only one of several schemes, and they are not alternatives - you can receive more than one:
- Cold Weather Payment: £25 for each seven-day spell where the average temperature in your area is at or below freezing, between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027. Paid automatically to people on qualifying benefits including Pension Credit.
- Warm Home Discount: a £150 rebate on your winter electricity bill, applied by your energy supplier rather than paid in cash.
- Pension Credit: the gateway benefit. It tops a low income up to a guaranteed minimum and unlocks Council Tax Reduction, a free TV licence at 75, NHS cost help and Cold Weather Payments. Around two in five eligible households never claim it. If you have savings, see how savings affect Pension Credit.
- Attendance Allowance: not means-tested, worth £76.70 or £114.60 a week if illness or disability means you need help looking after yourself, and it can increase a Pension Credit award.
For the full picture of what older people can claim, start at our benefits and entitlements hub.
Frequently asked questions
- Who gets the Winter Fuel Payment in winter 2026/27?
- You qualify if you were born on or before 27 June 1960 and you usually live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. There is no requirement to be claiming any other benefit and no savings test. Your circumstances during the qualifying week of 21 to 27 September 2026 decide how much you get. Scotland is not covered: it has its own devolved Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. You are excluded if you were in prison for the whole qualifying week, or in hospital getting free treatment for that whole week and the year before it.
- How much is the Winter Fuel Payment in 2026/27?
- Between £100 and £300. If you live alone, or nobody else in your household is eligible, you get £200, or £300 if you were born before 28 September 1946. If you live with another eligible person and neither of you claims a qualifying means-tested benefit, you each get £100, or £150 each if born before 28 September 1946. Couples with a joint claim for Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA get £200 between them, or £300 if either was born before 28 September 1946. Care home residents without a qualifying benefit get £100, or £150 if born before 28 September 1946.
- What is the £35,000 Winter Fuel Payment income limit?
- It is a clawback, not an eligibility gate. Everyone who meets the age and residence rules is paid automatically. But if your individual taxable income for the year is over £35,000, HMRC takes the full payment back. The threshold applies to each person separately, so your partner’s income does not count towards your total. Recovery happens through Self Assessment if you file a tax return, or through an adjustment to your PAYE tax code if you do not. It is a cliff edge with no taper: at £35,000 you keep it all, at £35,001 you lose it all.
- How do I opt out of the Winter Fuel Payment?
- If you know your income will be over £35,000 and you would rather avoid the tax adjustment, you can tell DWP not to pay you. For winter 2026/27 the deadline is 20 September 2026 if you opt out online, or before 6pm on 18 September 2026 if you do it by phone. Opting out means the payment is never made, so there is nothing for HMRC to recover. You can opt back in for a later winter if your circumstances change. Financially the outcome is identical either way - opting out is purely about avoiding the admin.
- When is the Winter Fuel Payment paid in 2026?
- Most eligible people receive a letter in October or November 2026 confirming the amount, with the money paid in November or December 2026. It goes into the same account as your State Pension or other benefit. If you are expecting a payment and nothing has arrived by late January 2027, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
- Do I need to claim the Winter Fuel Payment?
- Usually not. If you get the State Pension or another DWP benefit, the department already has your details and pays it automatically. A small number of people do need to claim, typically those who have never claimed any State benefit, who defer their State Pension and receive no other benefit, or who recently moved to the UK. Claims for winter 2026/27 can be made by post or phone, and the deadline for claiming is 31 March 2027.
- Is the Winter Fuel Payment taxable?
- The payment itself is tax-free and does not count as income for other benefits. The £35,000 clawback is not income tax on the payment as such: it is a separate recovery charge collected through the tax system from higher-income pensioners. If your income is £35,000 or under, the money is simply yours to keep.
- What happened to the Winter Fuel Payment rules?
- They have changed three times in three years. Up to winter 2023/24 it was paid to all pensioner households. For winter 2024/25 it was restricted to people on Pension Credit or certain means-tested benefits, which prompted a surge in Pension Credit claims. For winter 2025/26 it was restored to almost all pensioners with a £35,000 income clawback added. Winter 2026/27 keeps that structure but the amounts now vary by household composition rather than being a flat £200 or £300.
- What do people in Scotland get instead?
- Scotland has replaced the Winter Fuel Payment with the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, administered by Social Security Scotland rather than DWP. It has its own amounts, eligibility rules and payment dates. If you live in Scotland, check the Social Security Scotland guidance rather than relying on the England, Wales and Northern Ireland figures on this page.
- Can I get the Winter Fuel Payment if I live in a care home?
- Usually yes, but at a reduced rate. Care home residents who do not get a qualifying means-tested benefit receive £100, or £150 if born before 28 September 1946. You are not eligible if you get Universal Credit, Pension Credit or income-related ESA and you lived in a care home for the whole period from 29 June 2026 or earlier.