DWP urged to review Winter Fuel Payment eligibility for Brits who miss out

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been urged to review the cut-off period of 22 September for theWinter Fuel Payment qualifying week, which affects individuals reaching State Pension age after that date. This year's qualifying week for payments is from 15 to 21 September.

Over 9 million people born before 22 September, 1959 will receive Winter Fuel Payments ranging from£100 to £300 to help with the cost of increased heating bills this winter. However, these payments will only be issued to those who are over State Pension age during the qualifying week, reports the Daily Record.

In a written response to Labour MP James Frith, DWP Pensions Minister Torsten Bell said: "It is longstanding policy that Winter Fuel Payments are paid only to people who have reached State Pension age on or before the end of the qualifying week (the week beginning the third Monday of September each year) and meet certain other entitlement conditions."

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Bell further stated: "For winter 2025/26, the qualifying week for Winter Fuel Payments will be 15 to 21 September 2025, and the person needs to have reached State Pension age by the end of the qualifying week to be eligible (that is, they need to have been born before 22 September 1959".

"There are no plans to change or review this policy."

Beware of scams

If you receive a text or an email instructing you to claim by clicking on a link or dialling a number, this is likely a scam. The DWP has already issued warnings about these fraudulent messages on social media, urging pensioners to report them.

Most Winter Fuel Payments will be automatically issued. However, there are two specific groups of pensioners who will need to make a claim to the DWP.

Do you need to claim?

The DWP has stated that most people will automatically receive the Winter Fuel Payment if they are eligible during the qualifying week, which is 15 - 21 September 2025.

You do not need to claim if you receive any of the following:

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• State Pension
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Pension Credit
• Incapacity Benefit
• awards from the War Pensions Scheme
• Income Support
• Attendance Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Universal Credit
• Carer’s Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Industrial Death Benefit

Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments

You can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born before September 22, 1959 and live in England or Wales. Details on Pension Age Disability Payment can be found here.

When you will not be eligible

You will not be eligible if you:

• need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says that you cannot claim public funds
• were in prison for the whole of the week of 15 to 21 September 2025
• live outside England and Wales
• were in hospital getting free treatment for the whole of the week of 15 to 21 September 2025 and the year before that