Most people will receive their Winter Fuel Payment automatically – and the DWP is urging elderly households to be wary of scammers
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued a scam warning as millions of people receive their Winter Fuel Payment.
Winter Fuel Payments are worth up to £300 and are paid to people who were born before September 22, 1959. If your income is over £35,000 a year, you will have to pay back your Winter Fuel Payment through the tax system.
Most people will receive their Winter Fuel Payment automatically – and the DWP is urging elderly households to be wary of scammers who are trying to trick people into claiming.
In a post on X, the DWP said: “If you get a text about the ‘Winter Fuel Payment’ or the ‘Winter Fuel Allowance’, it is a scam. Winter Fuel Payments are automatic, you do not need to do anything. Report suspicious texts at https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk.”
If you received one of the following benefits in the qualifying week September 15 to 21, 2025, then you will be sent your Winter Fuel Payment automatically.
- 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
- Industrial Death Benefit
If you do not claim any of these benefit, then you will need to claim your Winter Fuel Payment if either of the following apply:
- You’ve not had the Winter Fuel Payment before
- You’ve deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment
In these incidences, you will have to claim your Winter Fuel Payment. You can make a claim by post or phone and the deadline is March 31, 2026.
To claim by post, you can fill in the Winter Fuel Payment claim form and send it to: Winter Fuel Payment Centre, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 1LR.
You can also call the Winter Fuel Payment centre on 0800 731 0160, or via Relay UK if you cannot hear on 18001 then 0800 731 0160.
You won’t be eligible if you were in hospital getting free treatment for the whole of the qualifying week, and the year before that, or if you were in prison during the qualifying week.
You also weren’t eligible if you lived in a care home for the whole time 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 replaced with a new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.
