By Linda Howard
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that the 2025/26 Winter Fuel Payment qualifying period will be September 15-21 and will be issued automatically to people in England and Wales born before September 22, 1959. Around 9 million pensioners will receive either £200 or £300 to help cover the costs of higher energy bills during the colder months. The payment is designed to help older people with an annual income of below £35,000, but those with a higher income can choose to opt out of receiving the payment, or repaying it through the Self-Assessment tax return process through HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The payments will be issued automatically over November and December, which means nobody needs to claim it. Pensioners in Scotland will also benefit from the policy change even though Winter Fuel Payments have been replaced north of the border by Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. First Minister John Swinney confirmed last month that pensioners in Scotland will receive no less than they would under the new UK Government’s Winter Fuel Payment scheme. He said further details of the Winter Fuel Payment scheme will be set out in due course and that ‘the Scottish Government will always seek what is best for Scotland’s pensioners’. The Scottish Government had previously said all 1.1m pensioners in Scotland would receive at least £100 on St Andrew’s Day on November 30. It had also stated that people aged between 66 and 79 on a qualifying means-tested benefit such as Pension Credit will receive £203. 40 and those aged 80 and over on a qualifying means-tested benefit will receive £305.10. However, under the new UK guidance, Scots look likely to receive those higher amounts without the need to be in receipt of Pension Credit. Guidance on mygov.scot has not yet been updated for winter 2025/26, but it seems unlikely the Sottish Government will not follow the DWP”s payment structure. DWP is warning older people not to be tricked into making a claim for the annual heating payment by criminals using text messages, emails and social media posts. DWP said: “If you receive a text about ‘Winter Fuel Payment’ it is a scam. Winter Fuel Payments are made automatically, you do not need to do anything.” You can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born before September 22, 1959 and live in England or Wales. You will not be eligible if you: You can get Winter Fuel Payment if you live in a care home, however, you will not be eligible if both of the following apply: The payment will be recovered from individuals via HMRC based on their individual taxable incomes. It will be recovered via PAYE for the vast majority, or in their Self-Assessment tax return for those who file and pay their taxes in this way. The recovery process will be made as simple as possible with clear guidance for taxpayers. For those who would like to opt out from receiving the Winter Fuel Payment, you must do this by September 15, 2025 full details on GOV.UK here. While the Winter Fuel Payment rule change will provide essential financial support over the colder months, Pension Credit is still the most under-claimed benefit. it is specifically designed to provide additional financial support for older people on a low income – singles and couples. Nearly 1.4 million older people across Great Britain, including more than 125,000 living in Scotland, are currently receiving the means-tested benefit that could provide an average of £4,300 in extra support during the coming months. Some older people think because they have savings or own their home they would not be eligible for the means-tested benefit, which can also provide access to help with housing costs, heating bills and Council Tax. An award of just £1 per week is enough to unlock other support. Below is an overview of the benefit including who should check eligibility, how to go about it, how much you could get and where to get help filling in the form. There are two types of Pension Credit – Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit. To qualify for Guarantee Pension Credit , you must be State Pension age (66). Your weekly income will need to be less than the minimum amount the UK Government says you need to live on. This is £227.10 for a single person and £346.60 for a couple – this amount could be higher if you’re disabled, a carer or have certain housing costs. You can only get Savings Credit if: Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income to: You might be able to get more than this if you’re disabled or a carer, or you have certain housing costs. Savings Credit can give you up to: The exact amount you’ll get depends on your income and savings. Your income includes assumed income from savings and capital over £10,000. Older people, or friends and family, can quickly check their eligibility and get an estimate of what they may receive by using the online Pension Credit calculator on GOV.UK here. Alternatively, pensioners can contact the Pension Credit helpline directly to make a claim on 0800 99 1234 – lines are open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Expert help and advice is also available from: More details about claiming Pension Credit can be fond on GOV.UK here. If you qualify for Pension Credit you can also get other help, such as: In May 2019, the law changed so a ‘mixed age couple’ – a couple where one partner is of State Pension age and the other is under it – are considered to be a ‘working age’ couple when checking entitlement to means-tested benefits. This means they cannot claim Pension Credit or pension age Housing Benefit until they are both State Pension age. Before this DWP change, a mixed age couple could be eligible to claim the more generous State Pension age benefits when just one of them reached State Pension age. To use the calculator on GOV.UK , you will need details of: You’ll need the same details for your partner if you have one. You will be presented by a series of questions with multiple choice answer options. This includes: Once you have answered these questions, a summary screen shows your responses, allowing you to go back and change any answers before submitting. The Pension Credit calculator then displays how much benefit you could receive each week. All you have to do then is follow the link to the application page to find out exactly what you will get from the DWP, including access to other financial support. There’s also an option to print off the answers you give using the calculator tool to help you complete the application form quicker without having to look out the same details again. Try the Pension Credit Calculator for yourself or your family member to make sure you’re receiving all the financial support you are entitled to claim. You cannot use the calculator if you or your partner: You can start your application up to four months before you reach State Pension age. You can claim any time after you reach State Pension age but your claim can only be backdated for three months. This means you can get up to three months of Pension Credit in your first payment if you were eligible during that time. You will need: If you’re backdating your claim, you’ll need details of your income, savings and investments on the date you want your claim to start. You can use the online service if: To check your entitlement, phone the Pension Credit helpline on 0800 99 1234 or use the GOV.UK Pension Credit calculator here to find out how much you could get.