The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued a critical deadline for households still awaiting a vital winter support payment. Pensioners who have not received their Winter Fuel Payment, worth up to £300, are being urged to take action before the end of January.
What is the deadline for missing payments?
While most eligible individuals should have received their payment automatically in November or December, the DWP has now set a key date for those still waiting. If the payment has not arrived by January 28, 2026, you should contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre from that date onwards.
The government states that you will typically receive a letter confirming the amount and the bank account it will be paid into, which is usually the same as your State Pension account. Absence of this letter or the funds by the deadline is your signal to get in touch.
How to contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre
There are two main ways to report a missing Winter Fuel Payment. You can call the dedicated helpline or send a letter by post.
The telephone number for the helpline is 0800 731 0160. If you use Relay UK, you should dial 18001 followed by 0800 731 0160.
For postal enquiries, the address is: Winter Fuel Payment Centre, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 1LR.
Who is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment?
To qualify for the payment for the 2025/26 winter, you must have been born on or before 22 September 1959. Payments are generally made automatically if you were receiving one of the following benefits during the qualifying week of 15 to 21 September 2025:
- State Pension
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Carer’s Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Income Support
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Awards from the War Pensions Scheme
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Incapacity Benefit
- Industrial Death Benefit
If you do not claim any of these benefits, you will need to make a claim yourself. This applies if you have never had the Winter Fuel Payment before, or if you have deferred your State Pension since your last payment. The final deadline for making a new claim is 31 March 2026.
It is important to note that you will not be eligible if you were in hospital receiving free treatment for the whole qualifying week and the year before, or if you were in prison during that week. Eligibility is also affected if you lived in a care home from 23 June 2025 or earlier and were claiming certain benefits.
Furthermore, if you earn over £35,000 a year, you may be required to repay the Winter Fuel Payment through the tax system.
