The Winter Fuel Payment after the income test came in
Everyone of pension age can receive it again, but HMRC takes it back from anyone with income over £35,000. The 2026/27 amounts, how the recovery works, and why Scotland runs its own payment.
At a glance
- For winter 2026/27, people born on or before 27 June 1960 who live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland can get £100 to £300, depending on age and household.
- If a person’s own total income is over £35,000, HMRC takes the payment back, usually through their tax code. A partner’s income does not count.
- Scotland has its own Pension Age Winter Heating Payment of £105.55 to £316.70 for 2026/27, also recovered above £35,000.
Few payments have changed as often in recent years as the Winter Fuel Payment. For winter 2024/25 it was limited to people receiving Pension Credit or certain other benefits. From winter 2025/26 it was paid to pensioners generally again, with an income test applied afterwards through the tax system. The result is a scheme that pays almost everyone of pension age and then takes the money back from some of them, which is simpler than it sounds once the steps are laid out.
This article sets out the rules for winter 2026/27 as published on GOV.UK, how the £35,000 test works, and how the separate Scottish payment differs.
Who qualifies this winter
GOV.UK states that people can get a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2026/27 if they were born on or before 27 June 1960 and usually live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. The qualifying week is 21 to 27 September 2026: circumstances during that week, such as who lives in the home, decide the amount.
Some people do not qualify, including those living outside England, Wales and Northern Ireland, people in hospital receiving free treatment for the whole qualifying week and the year before, and some care home residents who receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA.
How much it is
The amount depends on age and on whether anyone else in the household also qualifies. Older people, those born before 28 September 1946, receive more.
| Situation | Born 28 Sep 1946 to 27 Jun 1960 | Born before 28 Sep 1946 |
|---|---|---|
| Living alone, or nobody else in the home qualifies | £200 | £300 |
| Living with someone else who qualifies (no qualifying benefit) | £100 each | £150 each |
| Living in a care home | £100 | £150 |
Simplified from GOV.UK’s “How much you’ll get”. Where two people of different ages live together, or claim a qualifying benefit jointly, other combinations apply; GOV.UK lists them in full.
Most eligible people receive a letter in October or November confirming the amount, and GOV.UK says most will be paid in November or December 2026. The payment does not affect other benefits. People who are getting a State Pension are usually paid automatically; GOV.UK notes that anyone who has deferred their State Pension needs to claim, once. Deferral itself is explained in what putting off your State Pension adds.
The £35,000 income test
GOV.UK states: if your total income is over £35,000, HMRC will take your Winter Fuel Payment back. Three details matter:
- It is individual. A partner’s income does not count towards the total, so in a couple only the person whose own income is over £35,000 is affected.
- It is total income before deductions. GOV.UK asks people to consider the total income they expect for the tax year before any deductions, which includes the State Pension, private and workplace pensions, earnings and taxable savings income.
- It is recovered through tax. HMRC will usually collect it through the person’s tax code, so tax on their wages or pension goes up. If it cannot all be collected that way, a tax calculation letter follows. People in Self Assessment pay it through their tax bill and must include the payment on their return.
The test applies to each person’s own income. A couple can have one member above £35,000 and one below, and only one payment is recovered.
Worked example · illustrative only
Three households, winter 2026/27
- Widower aged 82, lives alone, income £21,000
- £300, kept
- Woman aged 68, lives alone, income £38,000
- £200, recovered via tax code
- Couple aged 70 and 72, incomes £40,000 and £12,000
- £100 each; his £100 recovered
Ages and incomes are invented. In the couple, only the partner whose own income is above £35,000 has the payment taken back. The partner’s payment is unaffected.
Opting out
People who do not want the payment, or who know their income is over £35,000, can opt out so that it is not paid and then recovered. GOV.UK states that it is no longer possible to opt out for winter 2026/27, and that opting out for winter 2027/28 opens from 21 December 2026. Opting out is optional; anyone who does nothing simply has the payment recovered through tax if their income is above the limit.
Scotland: a different payment
People who live in Scotland cannot get the Winter Fuel Payment. Instead, Social Security Scotland pays the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. For winter 2026/27 it has announced payments of between £105.55 and £316.70, depending on household circumstances, with the highest amount for people aged 80 or over. The qualifying week is also 21 to 27 September 2026. Payments go to all eligible pensioners and are then recovered by HMRC from anyone with an individual income over £35,000, in the same way as elsewhere in the UK.
Cold Weather Payment is separate
The Winter Fuel Payment should not be confused with the Cold Weather Payment, which GOV.UK describes as £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027, paid automatically to people receiving Pension Credit and certain other benefits when the local temperature is recorded or forecast to average zero degrees or below for seven days in a row. It is not available in Scotland, where a Winter Heating Payment is paid instead. Anyone on a low income who is not yet receiving Pension Credit may find that claiming it opens the door to this and other help, including council tax reductions.
Nothing to apply for through a website
The Winter Fuel Payment is paid automatically to most people who qualify. DWP does not text people asking them to “apply” or to confirm bank details to receive it. Treat any such message as a scam.
Who this matters for, and what to check
- Everyone born on or before 27 June 1960: watch for the letter in October or November confirming the amount.
- Anyone whose own income is likely to exceed £35,000: expect a tax code change or an entry on the Self Assessment return.
- Couples with very different incomes: only the higher earner’s payment is affected.
- Anyone who has deferred their State Pension: a one-off claim is needed.
- Anyone in Scotland: the Scottish payment comes from Social Security Scotland, not DWP. For the rules on the State Pension itself, see how the triple lock decides each April’s increase.
The takeaway
For winter 2026/27, the Winter Fuel Payment is £100 to £300 for people born on or before 27 June 1960 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, paid in November or December. Anyone whose own income is over £35,000 will see it recovered through the tax system. Scotland pays its own, slightly higher, Pension Age Winter Heating Payment on similar terms. In almost every case, nothing needs to be done to receive it.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Winter Fuel Payment. Eligibility, qualifying week and payment timing for winter 2026/27
- GOV.UK, Winter Fuel Payment: how much you’ll get
- GOV.UK, Winter Fuel Payment: if your income is over £35,000
- Social Security Scotland, Pensioners to benefit from winter heating support, July 2026. The 2026/27 Pension Age Winter Heating Payment amounts
- GOV.UK, Cold Weather Payment
General information
This article is private sponsored information from N&V Accounting OÜ, the publisher of Mo-saique (company details). It is not published by, and is not affiliated with, the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue & Customs or GOV.UK. It is general information, not personal financial, pension or tax advice, and it does not recommend any product or provider.
Figures are official published rates for the year stated or clearly labelled illustrations; what any one person receives or pays depends on their own record and circumstances. This site takes no applications and charges no fees. Never give your National Insurance number, bank details or Government Gateway or GOV.UK One Login details to a website in response to an article. For your own position, use GOV.UK or contact the department concerned.
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