Eligible pensioners are being urged to make an important check (Image: Getty)
State pensioners across the UK are being urged to check their bank statements for a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) code ahead of a looming deadline.
Around nine million pensioners in England and Wales are eligible for Winter Fuel Payments worth between £100 and £300 this winter to help pay energy bills. The vast majority of pensioners that qualify should have received the payment automatically at the end of last year, with the money appearing in bank accounts by mid-December. But the DWP says any pensioner who didn’t receive a payment by January 28, 2026, should contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre before the end of March.
The deadline to make a claim for winter 2025 to 2026 is March 31, 2026, so pensioners have just over a month left to get the payment.
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You can check if you’ve received it by looking for a DWP code on your bank statement. The payment reference should begin with your National Insurance number, followed by the code ‘DWP WFP’.
For pensioners with a taxable income above £35,000, the DWP has confirmed that the payment will be reclaimed through their tax code from April 2026 or their tax return for the 2025/26 financial year.
Gordon Wallis from independent fuel distributor Your NRG said: “Every pound matters, particularly during the winter months when heating costs can rise sharply
“We’re encouraging pensioners and their families to double-check that payments have been received and that no support is being left unclaimed.
“It’s important for households to understand how the scheme works, particularly if their circumstances have changed. A quick check now could prevent unnecessary financial pressure later.”
The DWP will not ask for your bank statement to receive the payment and anyone who receives a text message inviting them to apply for a payment should ignore it, and instead forward it to 7726.
The Winter Fuel Payment amount you get depends on when you were born and your circumstances during the qualifying week between September 15 and 21, 2025.
You’ll get either £200 if you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959, or £300 if you were born before September 22, 1945.
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Most pensioners should have received the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if they’re eligible and if you get any of the following benefits you don’t need to claim it:
- State Pension
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Carer’s Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Income Support
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- awards from the War Pensions Scheme
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Incapacity Benefit
- Industrial Death Benefit
If you don’t get any of these then you’ll need to submit a claim by March 31 for the payment if either of the following apply:
- you’ve not got the Winter Fuel Payment before
- you’ve deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment
The DWP said: “If any pensioner has questions on whether they are eligible or has not received a payment by 28 January 2026, they are encouraged to contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160.”