Winter Fuel Payment 2026/27: Who Gets It and How Much
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If you were born on or before 27 June 1960 and live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you could get £100 to £300 towards your heating this winter. This is called the Winter Fuel Payment, and most people get it automatically without having to claim. Scotland runs a separate, equivalent payment with its own rates.
Key points
✓Born on or before 27 June 1960: get £100 to £300 for winter 2026 to 2027, paid automatically for most people
✓The qualifying week is 21 to 27 September 2026; your age and circumstances then decide your payment
✓If your total income is over £35,000, HMRC claws back the whole payment through your tax code or your Self Assessment bill
✓You can no longer opt out for winter 2026 to 2027; opting out for 2027 to 2028 opens 21 December 2026
✓If you don't get a letter or payment by 27 January 2027, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre
✓Scotland has replaced this with Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, worth £105.55 to £316.70, run by Social Security Scotland
How much you'll get
Your payment for winter 2026 to 2027 depends on your age and who else lives with you, all based on your circumstances during the qualifying week, 21 to 27 September 2026:
Your situation
You get
You live alone, or no one you live with is eligible
£200 (born 28 Sept 1946 to 27 June 1960) or £300 (born before 28 Sept 1946)
You live with someone else who's eligible, and you get Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA yourself
£200 or £300, by your own age band, the same rate as living alone
You and your partner jointly claim Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA
One shared payment: £200 if you're both in the younger band, £300 if either of you is in the older band
You live with someone else who's eligible, but neither of you gets those benefits
£100 each if you're both born 28 Sept 1946 to 27 June 1960; £150 each if you're both born before 28 Sept 1946; if you're in different bands, the younger person gets £100 and the older person gets £200
You live in a care home
£100 (born 28 Sept 1946 to 27 June 1960) or £150 (born before 28 Sept 1946)
These are the England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates. Scotland's equivalent payment is worth more, see the Scotland section below.
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You can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born on or before 27 June 1960 and usually live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
You will not be eligible if you:
✗No: usually live outside England, Wales or Northern Ireland
✗No: were visiting England, Wales or Northern Ireland during the qualifying week but usually live somewhere else
✗No: were in hospital getting free treatment for the whole of the qualifying week and the year before that
✗No: need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says you cannot claim public funds
✗No: were in prison for the whole of the qualifying week
If you live in a care home, you can still get a Winter Fuel Payment. You won't be eligible only if both of the following apply: you get Universal Credit, Pension Credit or income-related ESA, and you lived in a care home for the whole time from 29 June 2026 or earlier.
Do you need to claim?
Most people get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically. You don't need to claim if you already get any of these:
✓Yes: State Pension
✓Yes: Pension Credit
✓Yes: Universal Credit
✓Yes: Attendance Allowance
✓Yes: Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
✓Yes: Carer's Allowance
✓Yes: Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
✓Yes: income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
✓Yes: awards from the War Pensions Scheme, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Incapacity Benefit or Industrial Death Benefit
Getting PIP or Attendance Allowance doesn't by itself make you eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. You still need to meet the birth-date rule above; already getting one of these benefits just means the Winter Fuel Payment Centre already has your details, so you don't have to fill in a form.
If you don't get any of those, you need to claim if you've never had a Winter Fuel Payment before, or you've deferred your State Pension since your last one.
1
Claim by post from 21 September 2026
Fill in a Winter Fuel Payment claim form and send it to the Winter Fuel Payment Centre, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 1LR.
2
Or claim by phone from 19 October 2026
Call the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160.
3
Claim by 31 March 2027
That's the deadline for a claim covering winter 2026 to 2027. You can ask for a mandatory reconsideration if you disagree with a decision.
When you'll get paid
Most payments are made automatically in November or December 2026. If you're eligible, you'll get a letter telling you how much you'll get and which bank account it'll be paid into, usually the same one your State Pension or other benefits go to.
If you don't get a letter, or the money hasn't reached your account by 27 January 2027, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre. Report any change of circumstances straight away too, such as moving house or into a care home, since these can change how much you get.
If your income is over £35,000
The Winter Fuel Payment itself is tax free and doesn't affect your other benefits or income. But if your total income for the tax year is over £35,000, HM Revenue and Customs will take the whole payment back through a "Winter Fuel Payment charge". Your partner's income doesn't count towards your own total.
HMRC collects this either by changing your tax code, so more tax is deducted from your wages, salary or pension, or by adding it to your Self Assessment tax return if you complete one. You can check whether your income is over the threshold on GOV.UK before HMRC contacts you.
Is it worth opting out if you earn over £35,000? Not financially: whether you opt out or receive the payment and have it clawed back, you end up with the same amount either way. Opting out mainly avoids the tax code change and the temporary increase in monthly deductions. See our guide to opting out for the current window.
Scotland: a different payment
If you live in Scotland, you cannot get a Winter Fuel Payment. Instead you may be eligible for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, run by Social Security Scotland, which replaced the Winter Fuel Payment for people in Scotland.
The rules are similar, the same qualifying week (21 to 27 September 2026) and the same birth-date cutoff (born on or before 27 June 1960), but the amounts are higher: if you're eligible you could get between £105.55 and £316.70, for example £211.15 if you live alone and were born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960, or £316.70 if you live alone and were born before 28 September 1946. The £35,000 income clawback works the same way, taken by HMRC against your individual income only.
Pension Age Winter Heating Payment is not the same scheme as Scotland's Winter Heating Payment, an income-based payment for very cold weather that any working-age person on a qualifying benefit can get. See our grants and hardship funds guide for that one.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Winter Fuel Payment?
It's a one-off payment of £100 to £300 to help people born on or before 27 June 1960 pay their heating bills for winter 2026 to 2027, paid automatically for most people. It only applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland runs its own equivalent, Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.
Who gets the Winter Fuel Payment?
Anyone born on or before 27 June 1960 who usually lives in England, Wales or Northern Ireland during the qualifying week, 21 to 27 September 2026, unless an exception applies, such as being in hospital or prison for the whole of that week, or usually living outside those countries.
Do I qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment if I get PIP?
Getting PIP doesn't itself qualify you. You still need to have been born on or before 27 June 1960. If you meet that and already get PIP, Attendance Allowance or certain other benefits, you're paid automatically without having to claim.
Is the Winter Fuel Payment taxable?
The payment itself is tax free and doesn't count as income for other benefits. But if your total income for the year is over £35,000, HMRC takes the whole payment back through a Winter Fuel Payment charge, collected via your tax code or Self Assessment return.
How much is the Winter Fuel Payment for a single person?
If you live alone, or no one you live with is also eligible, you get £200 if you were born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960, or £300 if you were born before 28 September 1946.
How do I claim the Winter Fuel Payment?
Most people don't need to: it's paid automatically if you already get State Pension, Pension Credit, Universal Credit or several other benefits. If not, and you've never had a Winter Fuel Payment before, claim by post from 21 September 2026 or by phone from 19 October 2026, by 31 March 2027.
What happens with the Winter Fuel Payment in Scotland?
You can't get a Winter Fuel Payment in Scotland. Instead, Social Security Scotland pays Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, with the same qualifying week and birth-date cutoff but higher amounts, between £105.55 and £316.70.
Can I opt out of the Winter Fuel Payment?
Not for winter 2026 to 2027; that window has closed. You'll be able to opt out for winter 2027 to 2028 from 21 December 2026. See our opting-out guide for the full timeline, including Scotland's separate, still-open window.
Know Your Rights UK. "Winter Fuel Payment 2026/27: Who Gets It and How Much." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/benefits/winter-fuel-payment