Why have I stopped getting the Winter Fuel Payment?

The Winter Fuel Payment used to arrive automatically in every household with someone aged 66 or over. From winter 2025/26 it is restricted to households receiving Pension Credit or certain other means-tested benefits, which is why many pensioners on modest incomes stopped receiving it. Nothing has gone wrong with your claim — the qualifying rules changed.

What it is worth and who gets it now

The payment is £200 where the oldest qualifying person in the household is 66 to 79, and £300 where they are 80 or over. It is made per household, not per person, so a couple where only one partner is over 66 still receives a single payment, set by the age of the oldest qualifying person. Where you do qualify, it is paid automatically in November or December.

The route back in

The single most useful step is to check Pension Credit, which hundreds of thousands of eligible pensioners never claim. It is worth claiming for its own sake, and it acts as a gateway to the Winter Fuel Payment and other help.

• Claim on 0800 99 1234. Pension Credit can be backdated up to three months, so a claim made shortly after the September qualifying week may still capture that winter’s payment — ask Age UK or Citizens Advice to check the dates for your case.
• If you believe you qualified but received nothing, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160.
• The payment is not taxable and does not count as income, so it never reduces Universal Credit, Pension Credit or any other award.

Do not stop there — other cold-weather help is separate and stacks:

• Warm Home Discount — £150 off your electricity bill, usually applied automatically if you receive Guarantee Credit and your supplier is in the scheme.
• Cold Weather Payments — £25 for each seven-day period of temperatures at or below 0°C, paid automatically to people on Pension Credit and certain other benefits.