The DWP has confirmed details of the Winter Fuel Payment for 2026-27, including eligibility criteria for the £100-£300 heating benefit and which state pensioners won’t receive it

The DWP has confirmed five categories of state pensioners who will be ineligible for a Winter Fuel Payment in 2026. It comes after it released details about the £200 to £300 heating benefit available to pensioners next winter.

The Department for Work and Pensions has outlined who qualifies for the payment this year, covering the period from winter 2026 to 2027, including the amount to be paid. It also outlined the five groups of state pensioners who cannot receive it, even if their earnings fall below the £35,000 threshold.

The Winter Fuel Payment has undergone numerous modifications in recent years, shifting from a universal entitlement for all to a heavily restricted Pension Credit-linked benefit. It then returned to a largely universal payment with certain conditions, following policy amendments and resistance from pensioners.

The Winter Fuel Payment scheme for winter 2025-26 has now concluded, with final payments having been issued to pensioners by the end of January. This coming winter, the next payment cycle will commence in October 2026. The DWP has confirmed eligibility criteria and payment amounts, reports the Express.

It 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’. You can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born on or before 27 June, 1960 and live in England or Wales.” Those who qualify will receive a letter in October or November outlining the payment amount they can expect.

It added: “The amount you get is based on when you were born and your circumstances between 21 to 27 September, 2026. This is called the ‘qualifying week’. Any money you get will not affect your other benefits.”

However, it stated that the following five groups will not qualify:

• You live outside England and Wales
• You were in hospital getting free treatment for the whole of the week of 21 to 27 September, 2026 and the year before that
• You need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says that you cannot claim public funds
• You were in prison for the whole of the week of 21 to 27 September, 2026
• You get Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and you lived in a care home for the whole time from 23 June 2025 or earlier.

There is one additional caveat: if your annual income exceeds £35,000, including from the state pension itself, you will be ineligible to retain it and must return the funds to HMRC through taxation.

The DWP adds: “If your income is over £35,000. HMRC will take your Winter Fuel Payment back by either: changing your tax code; adding the amount to your Self Assessment tax return.”