State pensioners aged 80 and over will receive a £300 Winter Fuel Payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), an increase from the previous £200. Those under 80 and of state pension age will receive £200.
The payment is designed to help pensioners with the higher energy bills they face during colder months. It comes as a typical household could face an annual bill of £1,729, up from £1,663, based on Ofgem's updated definition of a typical consumer, which took effect in July to reflect lower household energy use.
Eligibility and payment amounts
The amount for 2026 depends on when you were born and your circumstances during the qualifying week, which runs from September 21 to 27, 2026. Those born before September 28, 1946, and aged 80 or over, qualify for the £300 payment. Those born between September 28, 1946, and June 27, 1960, are eligible for £200.
The DWP says most payments are made automatically in November or December. The Government said eligible pensioners will receive a letter in October or November telling them how much they will get.
Energy price cap increase
The payment is expected to be needed this year because the energy price cap is currently expected to increase by 4% in October compared with the current rate, according to experts at Cornwall Insight. Analysts said the increase is driven by continued uncertainty linked to the Middle East conflict, which has pushed wholesale energy prices higher.
Who is eligible and how to claim
Those eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment include recipients of State Pension, Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Carer's Allowance, Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), awards from the War Pensions Scheme, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Incapacity Benefit, and Industrial Death Benefit.
People are not eligible if they live outside England and Wales, were in hospital receiving free treatment for the whole week of September 15 to 21, 2025, and the year before, need permission to enter the UK with leave that says they cannot claim public funds, or were in prison for the whole week of September 15 to 21, 2025.
Most people will get the payment automatically, but if you need to claim, you can do so by post. The deadline for claims for winter 2025 to 2026 was March 31, 2026. Claims for winter 2026 to 2027 open from September 21, 2026. To claim by post, fill in a Winter Fuel Payment claim form and send it to the Winter Fuel Payment Centre, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 1LR.
