Winter Fuel Payment letters arrive as £200 and £300 payments are confirmed

Letters are going out for the 2026/27 Winter Fuel Payment. It is paid automatically, then clawed back through tax if you earn over £35,000

Letters confirming the Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2026/27 are now going out. Households in England, Wales and Northern Ireland with someone born on or before 30 September 1960 will get £200, or £300 if someone in the household is 80 or over. The payment is made automatically, usually in November or December. Pensioners whose individual taxable income is over £35,000 will still receive it, but it will then be recovered through the tax system. The window to opt out for this winter has closed.

Key facts: £200 per household, £300 if someone is 80 or over. Eligible if born on or before 30 September 1960 and living in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Paid automatically in November or December. Clawed back through tax if your individual taxable income is over £35,000. Too late to opt out this winter. Scotland has its own Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.

Who gets it

Eligibility is based on age and residence in the qualifying week in September. If you receive the State Pension or certain other benefits, you should not need to claim. The letter will confirm the amount and roughly when to expect it.

If you are eligible and have not received a letter by mid-October, or you have not had the payment in previous years because you did not claim, check the guidance at gov.uk and make a claim if needed.

How the £35,000 clawback works

The test is individual taxable income, not household income. A couple where one person earns £40,000 and the other £15,000 keeps the lower earner's share of the payment and repays the higher earner's share. The payment is split equally between eligible people in a household for this purpose.

HMRC recovers the money through your tax code if you pay tax through PAYE on a private pension, or through self-assessment if you file a return. You do not need to send the money back yourself. The letter explains which applies.

The opt-out window for 2026/27 has closed, so anyone over the line will receive the money and see it recovered later.

What it means for you

For most eligible pensioners, the payment will arrive before Christmas. Do not respond to any text or email asking you to "claim" or "confirm your details". The government does not contact people that way about the Winter Fuel Payment.

If your income is close to £35,000, check what counts. Only taxable income is included: State Pension, private pensions, earnings, taxable savings interest and rental profits. ISA interest and Premium Bond prizes are not.

If you are on a low income, claiming Pension Credit also unlocks the £150 Warm Home Discount and other help.