Winter Fuel Payments start for pensioners under new rules

Millions of pensioners began receiving Winter Fuel Payments from Saturday, November 1, as the Department for Work and Pensions started paying one-off sums of up to 300 to help older households with winter heating costs. The payments, which will land in bank accounts through November and December, are being issued automatically to people born before 22 September 1959 who meet this year’s eligibility rules in England and Wales.

Under the revised rules for 2025, most recipients will get either 200 or 300, with households including someone aged 80 or over receiving the higher amount. People living in care homes may receive a smaller standard payment. The DWP has said letters are being sent in October and November advising households how much to expect and that most eligible people will be paid automatically if they met the qualifying week of 15 to 21 September 2025.

A new income threshold has been introduced this year. Pensioners with taxable annual incomes of 35,000 or more will not be entitled to keep the Winter Fuel Payment. The government expects roughly nine million older people to be paid this season, with around two million thought to have incomes above the threshold and...