DWP sets Winter Fuel Payment rules for 2026-27 season with £200-£300 amounts and £35,000 income limit

The Department for Work and Pensions has clarified the eligibility rules and payment amounts for the Winter Fuel Payment for the 2026 to 2027 season, marking the first winter under Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Most eligible pensioners will receive the payment automatically, with amounts set at £200 for those under 80 and £300 for those aged 80 and over.

To qualify, individuals must have reached the State Pension age before the end of the qualifying week, which runs from 21 September to 27 September 2026. According to DWP guidance, this means a person needs to have been born on or before 27 June 1960. The payment is designed to assist with heating costs during the colder months.

The system continues the changes implemented last winter, which followed widespread criticism of the previous government's decision to means-test the payments and link them to Pension Credit eligibility. That policy, introduced by the former Labour government under Sir Keir Starmer, restricted payments to those on very low incomes. While the current government under Andy Burnham has reinstated universal payments for most pensioners, it has maintained an income threshold. Individuals with an annual income...