DWP says ‘you do not’ in Winter Fuel Payment warning | Personal Finance | Finance
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued a warning to older people ahead of Winter Fuel Payments landing in bank accounts later this year.
Millions of people over State Pension age will receive up to £300 from the DWP. You can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born before September 22, 1959 and live in England or Wales.
If you live alone or no one you live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment you will get £200 if you were born between September 22, 1945, and September 21, 1959, or £300 if you were born before September 22, 1945.
Most people will receive the cash automatically, into the same account pensions and any benefits are paid into.
However you may need to make a claim for the payment if you do not receive State Pension or other benefits, and if you’ve not had the Winter Fuel Payment before, or if you’ve deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment.
If you do need to make a claim, you can do so by post – or by phone from Monday, October 13.
The deadline to make a claim for winter 2025/26 is March 31, 2026, and this is the only instance in which people will need to act to receive the cash.
In an alert on X, formerly Twitter, DWP is warning people not to fall for Winter Fuel Payment scams.
The post reads: “If you get a text about the ‘Winter Fuel Payment‘ or the ‘Winter Fuel Allowance’, it is a scam. Winter Fuel Payments are automatic, you do not need to do anything
“Report suspicious texts at stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk”.
