Eligible pensioners will receive letters from the DWP confirming the heating bill help.
Older state pensioners born before September 28, 1946, can get a £300 Winter Fuel Payment (Image: Getty)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed £300 for heating bills for older state pensioners this winter. The financial help comes thanks to this year’s Winter Fuel Payment, which will rollout to eligible pensioners in England and Wales from November. The lump sum payment, which is worth up to £300, will be issued to anyone born before June 28, 1960, to help with heating costs this winter, but those with a total income over £35,000 will have the payments clawed back by HMRC in the 2027/28 tax year.
While the Winter Fuel Payments are not due to roll out until November, the DWP has confirmed the eligibility criteria for winter 2026/27, which will see pensioners get up to £300 towards their energy bills. The exact amount that pensioners receive is dependent on their age and their circumstances during the qualifying week between September 21 and 27, 2026.
According to the 2026 criteria, older state pensioners born before September 28, 1946, are in line for the largest payments and will receive £300 from the DWP.
Those who are younger with birthdays between September 28, 1946 and June 27, 1960, will receive a lower payment of £200.
Pensioners will get these amounts if they live alone or no one else they live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment.
Confirming the payments for winter 2026/27, the DWP said: “If you were born before 28 June 1960 you could get between £100 and £300 to help you pay your heating bills for winter 2026 to 2027. This is known as a ‘Winter Fuel Payment’.
“Most people get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if they’re eligible. If you’re eligible, you’ll receive a letter in October or November saying how much you’ll get. Most eligible people will be paid in November or December 2026.”
The DWP added: “If you live alone or no one you live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment you’ll get either:
- £200 if you were born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960
- £300 if you were born before 28 September 1946.”
For those who live with someone else who is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, payment amounts will vary from £100 to £200, depending on individual circumstances.
If you get Pension Credit, Universal Credit or Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) then your payment amount may be different.
Letters from the DWP will be sent out from October confirming payment amounts and the money will then be automatically paid into accounts from November.
Pensioners with a total income over £35,000 who wish to opt out of receiving a Winter Fuel Payment must do so before the 2026 deadline.
The DWP has set two deadlines to do this, both of which fall in September this year. For those who want to opt out via phone, the deadline is 6pm on September 18, 2026, while the deadline for opting out online is 11.59pm on September 20, 2026.
In a recent reminder to pensioners of the deadline in a post X, the DWP said: “If your income is over £35,000, Winter Fuel Payment is recovered through your tax. If you’d prefer not to receive it, you can opt out. Deadlines apply in September.”
Pensioners don’t need to repeat this opting out process every year and won’t receive a Winter Fuel Payment in the future unless they choose to opt back in.