The Winter Fuel Payment and Warm Home Discount
The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual payment to help you with heating costs during the colder months.
When the weather is especially cold for a sustained period, you may also be eligible for a Cold Weather Payment.
There is also a Warm Home Discount scheme – an annual payment to help with the cost of energy during the winter. It's designed to make things a bit easier for those living on a low income or pension.
You may also wish to view our information on help with the cost of living.
The Winter Fuel Payment
The information on this page covers Winter Fuel Payments for autumn/winter 2025-26.
Eligibility for a Winter Fuel Payment
To qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) you must have reached State Pension age.
WFP is an annual payment for households that include someone born on or before 21 September 1959 (for 2025-26). If you have over £35,000 of taxable (gross) income per year, the payment you receive will be recovered through the tax system later on.
To be eligible, you will also need to be living in Wales or England for the qualifying week (this is the week beginning from the third Monday in September - i.e. 15 to 21 September in 2025).
How much Winter Fuel Payment could I get?
If you or your partner are over State Pension age, you could receive £200 towards your bills. If you or your partner are over 80, you could receive £300.
If you or your partner receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income related Employment and Support Allowance, one person will be paid the whole Winter Fuel Payment for the household.
If you and your partner do not receive one of these benefits the payment is split between you and the other qualifying people you live with.
If you are 80 years old or older, you will receive:
- £300 if you do not live with anyone else who qualifies for a payment
- £200 if you live with someone else who is under 80 years old and qualifies for a Winter Fuel Payment themselves
- £150 if you live with someone who qualifies and is also 80 or older.
If you are under the age of 80, you will receive:
- £200 if you do not live with anyone else who qualifies for a payment
- £100 if you live with someone else who qualifies for a payment.
What if I live in a care home?
You're not entitled to Winter Fuel Payment if you live in a care home from 23 June to 21 September 2025 and you receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
If you live in a care home and you don’t receive one of these benefits, your Winter Fuel Payment is £100 if you are under 80, or £150 if you're aged 80 or older.
How do I claim Winter Fuel Payment?
Payments are automatic: you do not need to do anything.
If you're eligible, the Winter Fuel Payment for 2025 will be paid directly into your account between November and December 2025.
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 or online at www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-to-claim.
Can I opt out of receiving the Winter Fuel Payment?
Yes, you can opt out before 15 September 2025.
Contact the Winter Fuel Payment helpline on 0800 731 0160 or online at www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-to-claim to say you do not want to receive a Winter Fuel Payment.
If you change your mind later, you can still make a claim by 31 March 2026.
You might prefer to receive the payment rather than opting out, in case you need help with your bills during the colder months. If your income is over £35,000 by the end of the financial year, the payment can be recovered through the tax system.
Are you claiming everything that you're entitled to? Find out with our benefits calculator whether you may be missing out on certain benefits or entitlements.
The Warm Home Discount Scheme
The Warm Home Discount is a one-off payment of £150 to help with the cost of energy during the winter. It's designed to make things a bit easier if you're living on a low income or pension. To qualify, you or your partner must have an account with a participating electricity supplier.
Getting a Warm Home Discount doesn't affect your entitlement to a Winter Fuel Payment or Cold Weather Payment.
The money won't be paid to you directly – it'll be added as credit to your electricity account. This usually happens between October and March (you might be able to get the discount applied to your gas bill if you're a dual-fuel customer – i.e. you have a combined plan for gas and electricity with the same supplier). If you use a prepayment meter, you'll probably be given a top-up voucher.
If your electricity supplier is part of the Warm Home Discount scheme then you don't need to apply for it – you'll get the payment automatically, provided you or your partner receive the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit. In June 2025, the government announced that households receiving other means-tested benefits, such as the Savings Credit portion of Pension Credit, Universal Credit and Housing Benefit will also qualify for autumn/winter 2025-2026 (in previous years those getting these other benefits also had to have high energy costs, based on a government assessment of the type, age and size of their property, but the government has announced that it's withdrawing this requirement).
If you're eligible, you'll usually receive a letter between November and January telling you about the discount. If you haven't received a letter by mid-January and you think you're eligible, then you can contact the Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 030 9322.
Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website.
For more information call Age Cymru Advice on 03300 564 365