An imminent deadline is approaching for individuals who have not yet received their Winter Fuel Payment.
The Winter Fuel Payment, valued at up to £300, is disbursed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to individuals above the state pension age. Those earning over £35,000 annually are required to reimburse it through the taxation system.
While the majority of recipients typically receive their Winter Fuel Payment in November or December, if you have not received it by January 28, 2026, you can reach out to the Winter Fuel Payment Centre from that date.
To contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre, individuals can either call the helpline at 0800 731 0160 or send a letter by post to the following address: Winter Fuel Payment Centre, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 1LR.
According to information on GOV.UK, most payments are automatically made in November or December. If you do not receive a letter or the payment by January 28, 2026, it is advised to contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
Winter Fuel Payments are issued to individuals born before September 22, 1959, who automatically received the payment if they claimed specific benefits during the qualifying week of September 15 to 21, 2025.
If you did not claim any of the qualifying benefits, you must submit a claim to the Winter Fuel Payment Centre by post or phone before March 31, 2026. Certain eligibility criteria apply, such as not being in hospital receiving free treatment for the entire qualifying week and the preceding year or being in prison during the qualifying week.
Moreover, individuals who resided in a care home continuously from June 23, 2025, or earlier and claimed specific benefits, including Universal Credit and Pension Credit, are also ineligible.
In Scotland, the Winter Fuel Payment has been substituted with a new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, ranging from £101.70 to £305.10.
