DWP Details £100 Winter Fuel Payments for Some Pensioners

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that certain pensioners will only receive a £100 Winter Fuel Payment this year, despite the maximum payment being £300. This decision affects those born before September 22, 1959, and the payments are scheduled for distribution in November and December 2025.

The amount of the Winter Fuel Payment varies based on individual circumstances assessed during a qualifying week, which this year runs from September 15 to September 21, 2025. Pensioners who do not claim benefits such as Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Income-based JSA, Income-related ESA, or Income Support will receive £100 if both they and their cohabitant were born between September 22, 1945, and September 21, 1959.

Those eligible for the £100 payment also include individuals born within the same time frame who live with someone born before September 22, 1945. Furthermore, care home residents born between September 22, 1945, and September 21, 1959, will qualify for the £100 payment, provided they do not receive benefits like Universal Credit or Pension Credit and have lived in the care home continuously since June 23, 2025, or earlier.

To obtain the full £300 Winter Fuel Payment, recipients must be aged 80 or above. Certain households may also qualify for payments of £150 or £200. Notably, new regulations state that if an individual’s income exceeds £35,000, they will still receive a Winter Fuel Payment, but it will need to be repaid through the tax system unless they opt out. This income eligibility is evaluated individually; for example, one partner earning £30,000 can retain their portion of the payment, while a partner earning £40,000 will be required to repay it.

Historically, Winter Fuel Payments were universally available to anyone over the state pension age, independent of their income or benefit status. According to Labour estimates, approximately nine million pensioners are expected to receive Winter Fuel Payments this year. In Scotland, the Winter Fuel Payment has been replaced by the new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, reflecting regional adaptations to support for pensioners facing winter heating costs.