The Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2026/27 is £200 for a household where the eligible person was born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960, and £300 where someone was born before 28 September 1946, meaning they are 80 or over in the qualifying week of 21 to 27 September 2026. It is paid automatically to almost everyone over State Pension age in November or December. Anyone whose own taxable income is above £35,000 receives it but has it recovered by HMRC through their tax code or Self Assessment return. Where two eligible people live together the household amount is split between them.
How much each household receives
| Circumstances in the qualifying week | Born 28 September 1946 to 27 June 1960 | Born before 28 September 1946 |
|---|---|---|
| Live alone, or no one else in the household qualifies | £200 | £300 |
| Live with another eligible person, both born after 27 September 1946 | £100 each | |
| Live with another eligible person, one born before 28 September 1946 | £100 to the younger person | £200 to the older person |
| Live with another eligible person, both born before 28 September 1946 | £150 each | |
| Couple with a joint Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA claim | £200 paid to one of you | £300 paid to one of you |
| Live in a care home | £100 | £150 |
The household total is therefore always £200 where everyone is under 80 and £300 where someone is 80 or over; the table only decides whose account it lands in. A couple where only one partner has reached State Pension age receives the single-person amount for that partner. The Winter Fuel Payment checker shows the figure for your household and whether the income recovery applies.
Who qualifies
You qualify if you were born on or before 27 June 1960 and live in England or Wales during the qualifying week. The date corresponds to State Pension age, currently rising from 66 towards 67, which is why it sits three months before the qualifying week rather than exactly 66 years before it; the State Pension age calculator gives your own date. Scotland pays its equivalent, the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, through Social Security Scotland, and Northern Ireland runs its own scheme on the same basis. People in hospital for more than a year, in prison, or who have needed permission to enter the UK do not qualify.
The £35,000 recovery
Since winter 2025/26 the payment has gone to all pensioner households again, with the cost recovered from higher-income individuals. The test is your own taxable income for the tax year, not the household’s: State Pension, private pensions, earnings, rental profits, savings interest above the allowance and dividends all count. Where it exceeds £35,000 HMRC takes back the full payment, £200 or £300 or your share of it, by adjusting your PAYE tax code for the following year or adding it to your Self Assessment bill. Someone on £34,000 keeps the whole payment and someone on £36,000 loses all of it; there is no taper. A couple where one partner has income of £40,000 and the other £15,000 keeps the lower earner’s £100 share and repays the higher earner’s £100. Our Pension Credit guide covers the households at the other end of the scale, for whom the payment arrives alongside the credit.
When and how it is paid
Letters go out in October and November stating the amount and the account it will be paid into, and most payments arrive in November or December with the reference “DWP WFP” on the bank statement. No claim is needed by anyone who receives the State Pension or another social security benefit. People over State Pension age who have deferred their pension and receive no benefits, or who have never received the payment before, must claim by phone or post before the following March. Anyone entitled who has not been paid by late January should contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
Other winter help
Pension Credit recipients also receive Cold Weather Payments of £25 for each seven-day period of freezing weather forecast or recorded in their area, and a Warm Home Discount off their electricity bill, applied automatically by the supplier. The Ofgem price cap for October to December 2026 puts a typical dual fuel bill at £1,723 a year, so the Winter Fuel Payment covers roughly six weeks of an average household’s energy; our energy price cap guide sets out the unit rates and the energy price cap calculator estimates a bill for your own usage.
Common questions
How much is the Winter Fuel Payment in 2026/27? £200 for a household where the eligible person is under 80 and £300 where someone is 80 or over, split between two eligible people living together.
Who is eligible? Anyone born on or before 27 June 1960 living in England or Wales during the week of 21 to 27 September 2026. Scotland and Northern Ireland run equivalent schemes.
Is the Winter Fuel Payment means tested? Not at the point of payment. It is paid to all eligible pensioners, then recovered through the tax system from individuals whose own taxable income exceeds £35,000.
When is it paid? Mostly in November and December, after a letter in October or November confirming the amount. Payments show as DWP WFP on bank statements.
Do I need to claim? Not if you receive the State Pension or another benefit. People who have deferred their pension or never received the payment must claim by phone or post.
Is it taxable? The payment itself is not taxable. The recovery from people with income over £35,000 is collected through the tax code or Self Assessment, but it is a repayment of the benefit rather than tax on it.
Information, not financial advice. Amounts and dates are the published winter 2026/27 figures on gov.uk: Winter Fuel Payment. The income test uses your own taxable income for the tax year, so check your position with HMRC if you are close to the £35,000 line.