State pensioners under the age of 80 living alone are in line to get an extra £200 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
The money is a Winter Fuel Payment that will be automatically awarded to eligible pensioners in England and Wales later this year to help with heating costs during the colder months. The DWP announced the criteria for the 2026/27 payments in April, with the money due to be rolled out to eligible households from November. Winter Fuel Payments are worth between £100 and £300 and are awarded to those on low incomes who were born before June 28, 1960.
Confirming the eligibility criteria for this year’s payments, the DWP will award eligible pensioners born between September 28, 1946 and June 27, 1960, who live alone a £200 Winter Fuel Payment.
For older pensioners (those over 80) born before September 28, 1946, living alone, the Winter Fuel Payment will be £300.
The amount you get is based on when you were born and your circumstances in the ‘qualifying week’ between September 21 to 27, 2026.
The DWP said: “If you live alone or no one you live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. You’ll get either:
- £200 if you were born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960
- £300 if you were born before 28 September 1946
If you live with someone else who’s eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment your payment may be different if you get one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).”
Most pensioners on the following 12 benefits will receive a Winter Fuel Payment automatically in November or December and don’t need to do anything to claim it:
- State Pension
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Carer’s Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- 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 will need to submit a claim for the payment if either of the following apply:
Most payments will be made automatically from November and you should get a letter in October or November telling you how much you’ll get and which bank account it will be paid into, which is usually the same account as your State Pension or other benefits
If you don’t get a letter from the DWP, or the money hasn’t been paid into your account by January 27, 2027, you should contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
To opt out of getting a Winter Fuel Payment, pensioners need to either complete an opt out form before 11.50pm on September 20, 2026, or call the Winter Fuel Payment Centre before 6pm on September 18, 2026.