Can I get the Winter Fuel Payment?

For people in England and Wales born on or before 27 June 1960 who want help with winter heating bills.

Applies to: England, Wales Last checked against official sources: 30 September 2026

If you were born on or before 27 June 1960, you could get £100 to £300 for winter 2026 to 2027. Most eligible people get it automatically.

You'll get a letter in October or November.
Most people will be paid in November or December 2026.
If your income is over £35,000, HMRC will take it back.
In Scotland, you may get Pension Age Winter Heating Payment instead.

Different in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Rules may be different in:

Scotland: Check mygov.scot for Scotland
Northern Ireland: Check nidirect for Northern Ireland

Key facts

Born on or before 27 June 1960
£100 to £300
Paid Nov or Dec 2026

Who qualifies for winter 2026 to 2027

You can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born on or before 27 June 1960 and you lived in England, Wales or Northern Ireland during the qualifying week, 21 to 27 September 2026.

You usually cannot get it if, for that whole week, you were:

in hospital getting free treatment (and also for the year before)
in prison
only visiting the UK
subject to immigration control with no access to public funds

People in a care home who get Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA cannot get it if they lived there from 29 June 2026 or earlier.

How much you will get

The amount depends on your age and who you live with. "Older" below means born before 28 September 1946. "Younger" means born 28 September 1946 to 27 June 1960.

Your situation	Younger	Older
Living alone (or no one else eligible)	£200	£300
With an eligible partner, no means-tested benefits	£100	£150 (or £200 if your partner is younger)
Joint claim for Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA	£200 for the couple	£300 for the couple
Living in a care home	£100	£150

Example 1: Margaret was born in 1950 and lives alone. She gets £200.

Example 2: Tom (born 1944) and Ann (born 1952) live together and neither gets Pension Credit. Tom gets £200 and Ann gets £100, so the household gets £300.

Do you need to claim?

Most people are paid automatically if they get the State Pension or certain benefits, such as Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance, PIP or Carer's Allowance. You get a letter in October or November, and most people are paid in November or December 2026.

You need to claim if you do not get one of those benefits and have never had the payment before, or you have put off (deferred) your State Pension since your last payment. Claims for winter 2026 to 2027 opened on 21 September 2026.

If your income is over £35,000

If your own total income is over £35,000, HMRC takes the payment back. Your partner's income does not count.

If you pay tax through PAYE, HMRC usually collects it through your tax code.
If you do Self Assessment, you must include the payment on your tax return.

It is now too late to opt out of the payment for winter 2026 to 2027. You can opt out for winter 2027 to 2028 from 21 December 2026. If you opted out earlier and now want this winter's payment, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre before 31 March 2027.

Watch out for scams

GOV.UK warns about scam texts, emails and calls about this payment. Be careful with any message asking for your personal or bank details.

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Wales and Northern Ireland: the same rules and amounts apply.
Scotland: you cannot get the Winter Fuel Payment. Social Security Scotland pays the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment instead, worth £105.55 to £316.70 for winter 2026 to 2027. If your income is over £35,000, HMRC also takes this back. Letters are sent from November 2026.

Related guides

Where these figures come from

Get it done

This takes you to the official service, which is free to use.

Check if you need to claim

Common questions

Does my partner's income count towards £35,000?

No. Only your own income counts.

What other heating help is there?

Cold Weather Payments, and the £150 Warm Home Discount if you get Pension Credit or are on a low income.

Source: Winter Fuel Payment

Checked against GOV.UK on 30 September 2026

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