DWP confirms June cut-off for state pensioners for automatic £300 | Personal Finance | Finance
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed a June cut-off date for state pensioners to get an automatic payment of up to £300.
The £300 is a Winter Fuel Payment that will be awarded to eligible pensioner households in England, Wales and Northern Ireland later this year to help with heating costs during the colder months. For the 2026/27 round of payments, the DWP has confirmed that pensioners born before June 28, 1960, will be eligible for the automatic cash boost of between £100 and £300. But anyone born after this June date will miss out.
As such, it means that people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland with a 66th birthday that falls between now and June 27 will become eligible for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment.
Confirming the eligibility for 2026/27, the DWP said: “You can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born on or before 27 June 1960 and usually live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
“You will not be eligible if you:
were in hospital getting free treatment for the whole of the week of 21 to 27 September 2026 and the year before that
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 21 to 27 September 2026.”
Pensioners will receive a letter from the DWP in October or November this year confirming how much Winter Fuel Payment they will get, if eligible.
The amount is based on when you were born and your circumstances between September 21 to 27, 2026, known as the ‘qualifying week’.
If you live alone and no one you live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, you’ll get either a £200 payment if you were born between September 28, 1946 and June 27, 1960, or a £300 payment if you were born before September 28, 1946.
If you get Pension Credit, Universal Credit or Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) then your payment amount may be different.
Most pensioners will receive the on the following 12 benefits will receive the Winter Fuel Payment automatically in November or December and don’t need to do anything to claim it:
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
awards from the War Pensions Scheme
Industrial Injuries Disablement 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:
you’ve deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will take your Winter Fuel Payment back if your income is over £35,000 and this will be done either by changing your tax code or adding the amount to your Self Assessment tax return.
The DWP said: “Most payments are made automatically in November or December. You should get a letter telling you:
which bank account it will be paid into – this is usually the same account as your State Pension or other benefits
“If you do not get a letter or the money has not been paid into your account by 27 January 2027, 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.
