The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that five groups of Brits will be ineligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, even if they were born before June 1960. The payment is given to pensioners to help with heating bills during the winter months.
Those eligible can receive between £100 and £300, with most payments made automatically in November and December. People with an income above £35,000 usually have the payment recovered through the tax system. Despite the system being generally universal, some groups are exempt from receiving the payment even if they meet the required minimum age of 66.
Groups Excluded from the Payment
The first two groups who are not able to claim the Winter Fuel Payment are those not currently living in the UK, and anyone who is in the UK but "usually lives" elsewhere. This means that Brits living abroad, and foreigners on short or medium length visas will not be able to claim the benefit.
The third group who will not be able to claim are those who were in hospital for the entire year leading up to September 27, as long as this treatment was free. The fourth group ruled out includes anyone who needs permission to enter the UK and those whose granted leave outlaws the drawing of public funds. This can but doesn't necessarily include those on skilled worker visas, temporary and family or partner visas.
Additional Exemptions and Claim Rules
The final group who will not be eligible are those that spent the entire week in prison between the 21st and 27th of September. The DWP website explains that many living in care homes will also not be eligible unless residents receive Universal Credit, Pension Credit or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and have lived in a care home for the whole time from 29 June 2026 or earlier.
For those that are eligible, you do not need to claim if you get any of the following: State Pension, Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Carer’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance (DLA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), awards from the War Pensions Scheme, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Incapacity Benefit, or Industrial Death Benefit.
If you do not get any of these, you need to claim if either you have not got the Winter Fuel Payment before or you have deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment.
