DWP tells state pensioners not to apply for £300 Winter Fuel Payment

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has told state pensioners not to apply for the Winter Fuel Payment which is worth up to £300.

The payment is to help low income pensioners pay for heating costs during the colder months and is due to be paid to around nine million eligible households from next month. The free support is worth up to £300 but the amount you get depends on when you were born and your circumstances during the qualifying week between September 15 and 21, 2025. Pensioners born before September 22, 1959, with an income of, or below, £35,000 will get between £100 and £300 to help pay heating bills this winter, and you must have reached State Pension age by the end of September 21, 2025 to be eligible.

Those who qualify will start to receive their payments in November and December, but the DWP has issued an urgent reminder to pensioners that they do not have to apply for it - the money will be paid automatically.

Pensioners are being warned to watch out for Winter Fuel Payment scams following a spike in referrals ahead of the payments rolling out from November, with the DWP urging people not to engage with scam messages.

According to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) data, there was a 153% rise in scam referrals in the final week of September, compared with the previous week, with fraudsters sending messages claiming to be from government officials processing winter fuel payment applications.

But the DWP will make the payments automatically and will never ask pensioners for their bank details via text. Anyone who receives a text message inviting them to apply for a payment is urged not to engage with it and instead forward it to 7726.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: "If you get a text message about winter fuel payments, it's a scam. They will be made automatically so you do not need to apply.

"These despicable attempts by criminals to target people are on the rise. We are raising awareness to make it harder for fraudsters to succeed. If you receive a suspicious message about winter fuel payments, don't engage - forward it to 7726 and delete it immediately."

Winter Fuel Payments will be paid into bank accounts automatically and eligible pensioners should receive a letter in October or November telling them how much they will get. The payments will then be made between mid-November and December 2025.

The Winter Fuel Payment is worth £200 per household, or £300 per household where there is someone over the age of 80. Shared payments will be made to pensioners not on an income-related benefit such as Pension Credit.

Pensioners in England and Wales with an income above £35,000 per year will see their Winter Fuel Payment be automatically recovered by HMRC via PAYE or in their Self-Assessment tax return.

The DWP added: "You'll get a letter in October or November telling you how much Winter Fuel Payment you'll get, if you're eligible. If you do not get a letter but think you're eligible, check if you need to make a claim.

"The amount you get is based on when you were born and your circumstances between 15 to 21 September 2025. This is called the 'qualifying week'. Any money you get will not affect your other benefits.

"You'll get either £200 if you were born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959, or £300 if you were born before 22 September 1945."