Winter Fuel Payment 2026-27
Every payment amount for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, the key dates for winter 2026-27, and how HMRC's £35,000 income rule can claw the payment back.
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Winter Fuel Payment amounts — England, Wales & Northern Ireland
Amounts depend on your birth date (Born 28 September 1946 – 27 June 1960 is the "younger" band; Born before 28 September 1946 is the "older" band), who you live with, and whether you or your household receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA. Northern Ireland follows the same rules as England and Wales.
| Your situation | Amount |
|---|---|
| Live alone, or no one you live with is eligible — younger band | £200 |
| Live alone, or no one you live with is eligible — older band | £300 |
| Share a home with another eligible person, neither on Pension Credit/UC/ESA(IR) — both younger | £100 each |
| Same, you're younger and your partner is older | £100 |
| Same, you're older and your partner is younger | £200 |
| Share a home with another eligible person, neither on those benefits — both older | £150 each |
| Joint claim for Pension Credit/UC/ESA(IR) — one payment to the household, both younger | £200 |
| Joint claim — either or both older | £300 |
| Get Pension Credit/UC/ESA(IR) but not as part of a joint claim — younger band | £200 |
| Same, older band | £300 |
| Care home resident — younger band | £100 |
| Care home resident — older band | £150 |
These amounts have not been increased for winter 2026-27 — Winter Fuel Payment in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is not uprated annually for inflation, unlike Scotland's equivalent below.
Scotland — Pension Age Winter Heating Payment amounts
Scotland has its own social security system. If you live in Scotland you cannot get the Winter Fuel Payment — you get Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP) instead, run by Social Security Scotland. Unlike the rest of the UK, PAWHP rates are uprated each year. Age bands use the practical current State Pension age reference (Aged 66y3m–79 in the qualifying week / Aged 80 or over in the qualifying week).
| Your situation | Amount |
|---|---|
| Individual/alone, Aged 66y3m–79 in the qualifying week | £211.15 |
| Individual/alone, Aged 80 or over in the qualifying week | £316.70 |
| Shared household (both eligible, no joint benefit award), both in the younger band | £105.55 each |
| Shared household, you're in the younger band and your partner is older | £105.55 |
| Shared household, you're in the older band and your partner is younger | £211.15 |
| Shared household, both in the older band | £158.35 each |
| Joint benefit award (couple), both in the younger band — single shared payment | £211.15 |
| Joint benefit award, either or both in the older band — single shared payment | £316.70 |
| Care home (entered before 29 June 2026), younger band | £105.55 |
| Care home (entered before 29 June 2026), older band | £158.35 |
Key dates for winter 2026-27
- Qualifying week (your circumstances on these dates decide your amount)21 to 27 September 2026
- Non-automatic claims open from21 September 2026
- Payment windowNovember or December 2026
- Opt-out deadline — online or by form11:59pm on 20 September 2026
- Opt-out deadline — by phone (0800 731 0160)6:00pm on 18 September 2026
- Deadline to opt back in for winter 2026-2731 March 2027
The non-automatic claims-open date is drawn from gov.uk's claim guidance; if it matters for a specific deadline, re-confirm it directly on gov.uk before relying on it.
The £35,000 rule, in summary
HMRC calls this the "Winter Fuel Payments charge." If your total income for the tax year — gross, before your Personal Allowance, as defined in Section 23 of the Income Tax Act 2007 — is £35,000 or less, you keep the payment. Above £35,000, HMRC takes back the full amount. There is no tapering: £1 over the line costs you the whole payment.
The test is per person, not per household. Gov.uk's own example: if your income is £36,000 and your partner's is £22,000, HMRC takes back your payment but your partner keeps theirs — "your partner's income does not count towards your total." Exactly how this is apportioned when a couple receives one combined joint-claim payment (see the benefit rows in the tables above) is not spelled out with a worked example on gov.uk, so if that applies to you it's worth confirming directly with HMRC.
The £35,000 figure is fixed for winter 2026-27 with no announced uprating mechanism — the legislation and policy paper don't link it to inflation, and outside commentators have flagged whether it will rise in future as an open question. Treat it as the current threshold, not as guaranteed to stay at this level indefinitely.
Read the full £35,000 clawback explainer — PAYE K-codes, Self Assessment and the opt-out decisionExempt from the charge regardless of income
If you receive any of the following in the qualifying week, you are not liable for the £35,000 charge no matter how high your income is:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Pension Credit
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit
How we got here
Winter Fuel Payment was paid universally to everyone over State Pension age until winter 2024/25, when the incoming government restricted it to people also on Pension Credit or another means-tested benefit — cutting the pool of recipients to roughly 13% of pensioners that winter. Following a June 2025 U-turn, universality was restored from winter 2025/26, but paired with the new £35,000 income charge introduced by Finance Bill 2025-26, taking effect from 6 April 2025. Winter 2025/26 was the first winter under this universal-with-clawback regime; winter 2026/27 continues the same threshold and the same cliff-edge mechanism, with the only structural change being a one-off transition-year PAYE timing effect where the 2027-28 tax code briefly recovers two winters' payments together.
Frequently asked questions
Who gets the Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2026-27?
Anyone born on or before 27 June 1960 who usually lives in England, Wales or Northern Ireland during the qualifying week (21 to 27 September 2026) — that birth date is when someone reaches State Pension age within this winter's qualifying week. Scotland has a separate, devolved equivalent called the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP), administered by Social Security Scotland rather than DWP/HMRC.
How much is the Winter Fuel Payment in 2026-27?
Between £100 and £300 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, depending on your age band, who you live with, and whether you or your household get a means-tested benefit. The exact amount depends on your specific situation — see the full table above.
What is the difference between the Winter Fuel Payment and Pension Age Winter Heating Payment?
They are the same idea administered differently. Winter Fuel Payment covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is not increased for inflation. Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP) is Scotland's devolved equivalent, run by Social Security Scotland, and — unlike the rest of the UK — its rates are uprated each year. The gov.uk overview is explicit: "You cannot get a Winter Fuel Payment. You might be eligible for Pension Age Winter Heating payment."
Do I need to claim, or is it automatic?
Most people get it automatically if they already receive State Pension, Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance, PIP, Carer's Allowance, DLA, income-related ESA, War Pensions Scheme awards, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Incapacity Benefit or Industrial Death Benefit — a letter confirming the amount arrives in October or November. You only need to claim if you don't get any of those and either you've never had a Winter Fuel Payment before, or you deferred your State Pension since your last payment.
When will I be paid?
Most eligible people are paid in November or December 2026.
What is the £35,000 rule?
HMRC recovers the full payment from anyone whose individual total income for the tax year exceeds £35,000 — it is a cliff edge, not a taper, and it is tested on your own income, not your household's. See our full explainer on the £35,000 clawback for the mechanics and worked examples.
Can I opt out of the Winter Fuel Payment?
Yes. You cannot repay it yourself once HMRC has taken it back through your tax code or Self Assessment, so if you know your income is comfortably over £35,000, opting out avoids the payment (and the later deduction) altogether. For winter 2026-27, opt out online or by form before 11:59pm on 20 September 2026, or by phone before 6:00pm on 18 September 2026. It is a standing election — you don't need to opt out again each year unless you opt back in.
Does living in a care home affect my payment?
Care home residents can still get a Winter Fuel Payment (£100/£150 depending on age band) unless they receive Universal Credit, Pension Credit or income-related ESA and have lived in a care home for the whole time since 29 June 2026 or earlier.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Winter Fuel Payment
- GOV.UK — Winter Fuel Payment: how much you’ll get
- GOV.UK — Winter Fuel Payment: opt out
- GOV.UK — Paying back the Winter Fuel Payment (HMRC guidance)
- GOV.UK — Income Tax Charge on Winter Fuel Payments (HMRC policy paper)
- GOV.UK — PAYE Manual: PAYE14020
- mygov.scot — Pension Age Winter Heating Payment
- nidirect — Winter Fuel Payment
Last verified 2026-08-02 directly against gov.uk, HMRC guidance and mygov.scot. Winter Fuel Payment amounts are set out in Section 8 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 as amended; the £35,000 charge is introduced by Finance Bill 2025-26 under Part 10 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003.
Related
Winter Fuel Payment Calculator
See your exact payment and whether the £35,000 rule claws it back
The £35,000 Clawback Explained
The income test, the cliff edge, and how HMRC actually takes it back
Pension Credit Calculator
Pension Credit recipients are exempt from the charge regardless of income
State Pension Calculator
Work out your State Pension income for the £35,000 test