The Winter Fuel Payment is a yearly tax-free payment from the UK government to help older people with their heating bills over the winter. For winter 2026 to 2027 it is worth between £100 and £300, depending on when you were born and who you live with, and most eligible people are paid automatically in November or December 2026.

It is not a benefit you apply for in the usual sense: if you already get the State Pension or certain other benefits, the money should arrive without you doing anything.

Who can get the Winter Fuel Payment in 2026-27?

According to GOV.UK, you can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born on or before 27 June 1960 and you usually live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Your circumstances during the qualifying week, 21 to 27 September 2026, decide whether you qualify and how much you get.

You will not be eligible if you usually live outside England, Wales or Northern Ireland, or if you were only visiting during the qualifying week but usually live somewhere else. You also cannot get it if you were in prison for the whole of the qualifying week, or in hospital receiving free treatment for the whole of that week and the year before it. If you live in a care home you can still get the payment, but not if you get Universal Credit, Pension Credit or income-related ESA and you have lived in the care home since 29 June 2026 or earlier.

People in Scotland cannot get the Winter Fuel Payment. Scotland has a separate payment, the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, paid by Social Security Scotland. For winter 2026 to 2027, eligible people in Scotland can get between £105.55 and £316.70.

How much is the Winter Fuel Payment?

The amount is based on your date of birth and your household during the qualifying week. If you live alone, or nobody you live with is eligible for the payment, you will get £200 if you were born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960, or £300 if you were born before 28 September 1946.

If you live with someone else who is also eligible, the payment is shared. Where neither of you gets Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA, you will each get £100 if you were both born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960, £150 each if you were both born before 28 September 1946, and £200 for the older person and £100 for the younger person if your birth dates fall on different sides of 28 September 1946. If you get one of those benefits yourself, you will get £200 or £300, depending on your date of birth, and in a care home the payment is £100 or £150.

You will get a letter in October or November telling you how much you will get and which bank account it will be paid into, usually the same account as your State Pension or other benefits. The payment does not affect your other benefits.

What is the £35,000 income rule?

The biggest change for this winter is the income rule. If your total income is over £35,000, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will take your Winter Fuel Payment back. This is a recovery rule, not an eligibility cut-off: you still receive the payment first, and HMRC then recovers it, usually by changing your tax code so that a little more tax is taken from your wages, salary or pension each month. If you complete a Self Assessment tax return, the payment is recovered through your tax bill instead.

Only your own income counts towards the £35,000 figure, not your partner's. That matters for couples, because one partner can be over the threshold while the other is not. You can also opt out of receiving the payment if your income is over £35,000 or you simply do not want it, although you can no longer opt out for 2026 to 2027. Opting out for 2027 to 2028 opens on 21 December 2026.

Do you need to claim the Winter Fuel Payment?

Most people do not need to claim. The payment is made automatically if you get the State Pension, Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Carer's Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, income-related ESA, or several other benefits and payments.

You do need to claim if you do not get any of those benefits and either you have not received the Winter Fuel Payment before, or you have deferred your State Pension since your last payment. Claims for winter 2026 to 2027 opened on 21 September 2026 by post, and by phone from 19 October 2026. The deadline to claim is 31 March 2027, and you can call the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. You will need your National Insurance number, your date of birth and your bank or building society details.

When will you be paid?

Most eligible people will be paid in November or December 2026. If you do not get a letter or the money has not been paid into your account by 27 January 2027, GOV.UK advises contacting the Winter Fuel Payment Centre. If your circumstances change, for example if you move house or move into a care home, tell the centre as soon as possible, because it can affect how much you get.

Be alert to scams. GOV.UK warns that criminals send calls, emails and messages pretending to be from a government service. A genuine message will never ask for your bank details or passwords, and any message that does should be reported.

What other help with heating bills is available?

The Winter Fuel Payment is not the only support. If you get certain benefits and the temperature drops to zero degrees or below for seven days in a row, you may get a Cold Weather Payment. The Warm Home Discount gives a £150 discount on bills if you get Pension Credit or live in a low-income household. Your local council may also offer help with the cost of living, depending on the rules in your area.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to apply for the Winter Fuel Payment? Usually not. Most eligible people are paid automatically. You only need to claim if you do not get the State Pension or a qualifying benefit and you have not received the payment before, or you deferred your State Pension.

Will I still get the Winter Fuel Payment if my income is over £35,000? Yes, you will still receive it, but HMRC will take it back through your tax code or your Self Assessment tax return. Only your own income counts, not your partner's.

When is the Winter Fuel Payment paid? Most payments are made in November or December 2026. If you have not received yours by 27 January 2027, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160.

Sources: GOV.UK, Winter Fuel Payment and Winter Fuel Payment 2026 to 2027: Who Gets It.