Officials now say only people born before date will get the payment this year07:58, 22 Aug 2026A vital cut-off date has been announced for claiming £300 from the Department for Work and Pensions this year. Winter Fuel Payments are tax-free annual lump sums issued by the UK government to help older people cover their heating costs during the winter period.‌The government has now announced that to be eligible for this year's payment, individuals must have been born on or before 28 June 1960. Those who qualify could receive between £100 and £300 towards their heating expenses for winter 2026 to 2027.‌Earlier this year, in a parliamentary inquiry, Labour's Michael Wheeler questioned Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden: "For what reason the cut-off date for eligibility for receipt of winter fuel payment is in June."‌Parliamentary Secretary for the Treasury and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions Torsten Bell responded: "The Winter Fuel Payment is an age-related payment payable to everyone who has reached State Pension age on or before the end of the qualifying week and is ordinarily resident in England or Wales. The qualifying week is set out in legislation and is the third full week of September, for winter 2026/27 that is 21 to 27 September 2026.""The State Pension age for men and women will increase to 67 between 2026 and 2028. People born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 will reach their State Pension age at 66 years and the specified number of months, depending on the exact date they were born."Therefore, a person needs to be born on or before 27 June 1960 to have reached State Pension age by the end of the qualifying week to be eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2026/27."‌If eligible, the payment is either £200 or £300, depending on your specific living situation and age:Aged under 80: You will get £200.Aged 80 or over: You will get £300.On this issue, Labour's Rachael Maskell recently raised concerns: "For what reason a single pensioner's household income could be less than that of a couple and the couple could be entitled to the Winter Fuel Allowance where the single pensioner was not."‌Mr Bell clarified that payments are assessed on personal earnings: "Winter Fuel Payments are assessed and, where applicable, recovered on an individual basis rather than by reference to total household income. This reflects the structure of the personal tax system."Winter Fuel Payments remain a simple scheme to provide a lump sum payment to the majority of pensioners quickly and automatically, without the need to claim. The system for withdrawing the Winter Fuel Payment for those with higher incomes is simple and cost-effective to deliver."The £35,000 threshold means that more than three-quarters of pensioners will benefit from the Winter Fuel Payment. The threshold is in line with average earnings and means those on lower and middle incomes are receiving the help they need while ensuring payments are better targeted than the previous near-universal payment; and ensuring fairness for both pensioners and taxpayers."‌Individuals are now able to opt out of receiving the Winter Fuel Payment to avoid having to pay it back at a later stage. In the majority of cases, the money will be recovered automatically through the tax system.You do not need to claim if you get any of the following:State PensionPension CreditUniversal CreditAttendance AllowancePersonal Independence Payment (PIP)Carer’s AllowanceDisability Living Allowance (DLA)income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)awards from the War Pensions SchemeIndustrial Injuries Disablement BenefitIncapacity BenefitIndustrial Death Benefit‌If you do not get any of these, you need to claim if either of the following apply:you’ve not got the Winter Fuel Payment beforeyou’ve deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel PaymentClaims for winter 2026 to 2027 open from 21 September 2026. Those who qualify will receive the payment automatically, with no application forms required.‌The BBC's Cost of Living correspondent, Colletta Smith, previously stressed: "Those eligible are people who earn now £35,000 or less, so it's a much higher threshold as a pensioner. So if you are getting some form of private pension, workplace pension, as long as you're below that threshold of £35,000, you'll still get the winter fuel payments. And crucially, it will come automatically. So like it used to."Previously you don't have to apply for it. HMRC will adjust an individual's tax code during the 2026 to 2027 tax year. The reimbursement will appear as an underpayment, leading to slightly higher tax deductions being taken each month."From 1 April 2026, households have been able to opt out of the 2026 to 2027 payment by getting in touch with the Winter Fuel Payment Centre or completing an online form. A National Insurance number will be needed to carry out this process.‌Once someone opts out, they will stop receiving future payments unless they decide to re-register. The main reason for withdrawing from the scheme is if a household expects their income to remain above the threshold, as from the 2027 to 2028 tax year, HMRC plans to reclaim payments in advance rather than in arrears.This means deductions could be roughly double the usual amount. For a standard £200 payment, this could mean approximately £33 per month being deducted through the tax system, compared to around £17 previously.These deductions are anticipated to return to the lower monthly figure in the following tax year.Article continues belowFor more information click here.