The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has warned people to remain vigilant against fraudsters sending messages about the Winter Fuel Payment.
Winter Fuel Payments are valued at £200 for qualifying households, or £300 for qualifying households with someone aged over 80. They are typically distributed in November and December to pensioners who were born before September 22, 1959.
If your earnings exceed £35,000, you’ll still receive the payment, but you’ll need to repay it through the tax system. You can choose to decline receiving the payment entirely, but this can only be arranged through the official GOV.UK website or by contacting the Winter Fuel Payment Centre via post or telephone.
If you are considering declining the payment, you must do so by September 15, 2025. On X, previously known as Twitter, the DWP stated: “Beware! Scammers could be trying to steal from you by sending messages about the Winter Fuel Payment and opting out.
“Don’t click or tap any links – check the facts about opting out before the 15 Sep 2025 deadline.”
The income threshold for the Winter Fuel Payment applies individually, reports the Mirror. For instance, if you earn £30,000 annually and your partner earns £40,000, one person would retain their portion of the Winter Fuel Payment while the other would repay it.
If you are receiving one of these benefits during the qualifying week – which for this year is September 15 to 21, 2025 – then you will obtain your Winter Fuel Payment automatically.
If you do not receive any of these benefits, then you will need to make a claim if you’ve never received a Winter Fuel Payment before, or you’ve deferred your state pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment.
Should you need to claim, you can apply by post from September 15, or by phone from October 15. Your eligibility will be determined by your age at the end of the qualifying week.
You won’t qualify if you were in hospital receiving free treatment for the entirety of the qualifying week, and the year prior to that, or if you were in prison during the qualifying week.
You also wouldn’t have been eligible if you resided in a care home for the entire period from June 23, 2025 or earlier and you claim certain benefits including Universal Credit and Pension Credit.
In Scotland, the Winter Fuel Payment has been superseded by a new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.
