Winter Fuel Payment up to £300, repay if income exceeds £35,000

Millions of pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment of between £100 and £300 this winter, but some recipients may have to repay the cash if their individual income exceeds £35,000. The Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed that around nine million people born before 22 September 1959 will be eligible and that most payments will be made automatically between November and December, with letters telling people how much they will get due to arrive in October or November.

HM Revenue and Customs has said it will recover payments of up to £300 from those whose taxable income for 2025/26 exceeds £35,000. Recovery will usually happen either by adjusting a recipient's tax code in the 2026/27 tax year or, where applicable, by adding the payment to the 2025/26 Self Assessment tax return. The income test is applied to individuals rather than households. For example, if two people live together and one has taxable income of £30,000 and the other £40,000, the lower earner would keep their payment while the higher earner would be required to repay theirs.

The government offers an online tool to help people check whether their income means HMRC will reclaim...