State pensioners born in these years given instant £100 winter fuel payment rise | Personal Finance | Finance

The Winter Fuel Payment is back to being universal for everyone, unless you earn too much and have to hand it back to HMRC. But the amount you’re given actually depends on your age, with older state pensioners able to get an instant £100 uplift. The payment starts at £200, but rises to £300 for every state pensioner over a certain age during the qualifying period.

Only those who earn more than £35,000 per year will be required to repay the money to the Government. This means that every state pensioner will receive the money, and only those earning £35,000 or more per year will be required to repay it to HMRC in tax. But what many don’t realise is that if you do keep your Winter Fuel Payment this winter, the exact amount you get paid changes depending on the year you were born and possibly because of other circumstances.

The Winter Fuel Payment was automatically paid to all state pensioners from November 2025 to January 2026, but the amount changed depending on your age. The same will be true of the next payment dates in November 2026 to January 2027.

Those who were of state pension age but aged under 80, so born on or before September 21, 1959, in the recent round of payments, received a £200 payment, whereas those aged over 80 – so born on September 21, 1944 or earlier – qualified for an instant £100 increase, giving them a £300 payment instead.

The amount you get is based on when you were born and what your circumstances were between September 15 and 21, 2025. This is called the ‘qualifying week’.

This means that if you are now aged over 80 and qualify, your Winter Fuel Payment will be increased from £200 to £300.

Most people who qualify will get a letter telling them how much they will get and which bank account this will be paid into – which is usually the same as for your Pension Credit or other benefits.

Age UK said: “Payments are automatic you do not need to do anything. If you have not received your Winter Fuel Payment by January 2026, you can make a claim before 31 March 2026. Contact the Winter Fuel Payment helpline on 0800 731 0160.”