Exact date that qualifies state pensioners for DWP Winter Fuel Payments this winter

Eligibility is based on a person's age and where they live during the qualifying week

Winter Fuel payments will be paid to over three-quarters of pensioners in England and Wales this winter, the Chancellor has announced. Around nine million pensioners will receive the payments after the government announced its u-turn on the eligibility requirements today.

The payments, worth up to £300 each, will be paid to eligible pensioners later this winter. The government had previously decided to limit the winter fuel payment to only those who claimed pension credit.

Last year, government changes meant that only those receiving Pension Credits were eligible for the payments in the 2024/2025 winter.

It was one of Labour’s first acts in Government and was aimed at balancing what was described as a £22 billion “black hole” in the public finances but meant the number of pensioners receiving the payment was reduced by around 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million.

Now, after the U-turn, the vast majority of pensioners who previously received it will now get the payment automatically.

Eligibility is based on a person's age and where they live during the qualifying week - this year, that week will be September 15 to September 21. A person needs to have reached state pension age by September 21 to be eligible for a payment.

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Pensioners aged up to 80 will receive a Winter Fuel Payment worth £200 while those aged 81 or over will get £300.

Anyone with an income of under £35,000 a year will now get the payment automatically and those with an income above this threshold will also receive the payment, but have it deducted automatically via PAYE, or a self-assessment tax return.

Devolved authorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland will each receive a funding uplift so they too can meet the new threshold.

Pensioners who do not want to receive the payment will be able to opt out, according to the Treasury.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “Targeting winter fuel payments was a tough decision but the right decision because of the inheritance we had been left by the previous government.

“It is also right that we continue to means test this payment so that it is targeted and fair, rather than restoring eligibility to everyone including the wealthiest.

“But we have now acted to expand the eligibility of the winter fuel payment so no pensioner on a lower income will miss out.

“This will mean over three-quarters of pensioners receiving the payment in England and Wales later this winter.”