Announcement: Deadline to opt out of 2025/26 winter fuel payment is 15 September 2025
If you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and you expect your income in the 2025/26 tax year to be more than £35,000, you have until 15 September 2025 to opt out of receiving this year’s winter fuel payment.
2025/26 winter fuel payments
2025/26 winter fuel payments will be made during November and December 2025 to certain people born before 22 September 1959 living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The amount of the payment depends on your circumstances but is generally between £100 and £300. It is usually paid automatically but some people may need to make a claim.
Beware of winter fuel payment scams! The government will not contact you by text message or email about claiming winter fuel payment. See GOV.UK for information about who might need to make a claim, and how you can do so. If you are unsure if a communication is genuine, call the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160.
Winter fuel payments are non-taxable. However, if your income is over £35,000 for the tax year, HMRC will take your winter fuel payment back, via the tax system. In most cases, this will either be through the PAYE system or under self assessment, if you complete an annual tax return.
Alternatively, you can choose to opt out of receiving the winter fuel payment.
Opting out of the winter fuel payment
If you know your income for the 2025/26 tax year will be more than £35,000, and you would prefer not to receive the winter fuel payment, there is an opt-out service. For this winter’s payment, you will need to have opted out by either:
- Using the online opt-out form by midnight on 15 September 2025.
- Telephoning the Winter Fuel Payment Centre by 6pm on 15 September 2025.
Please note: The opt-out deadline was originally on or before 14 September 2025 online and by 6pm 12 September 2025 by phone. However, the DWP have confirmed that the deadline has been extended and is now ‘on or before 15 September’ as explained above. This is also confirmed on GOV.UK.
You are able to opt back in if your circumstances change and it turns out your income for the year will be £35,000 or less. The deadline to opt back in for the 2025/26 winter fuel payment will be 31 March 2026.
Useful links
HMRC have produced an online tool that can help you to check if your income might exceed the £35,000 income threshold.
There is further information about the winter fuel payment on GOV.UK, including how to check:
- If you are eligible,
- if you need to claim the payment,
- how you can opt out of receiving the payment
If you live in Scotland
If you live in Scotland, there is a separate scheme, called the ‘Pension age winter heating payment’. This is very similar – though not identical – to the winter fuel payment scheme in the rest of the UK. This Scottish scheme also allows for a payment clawback where a person’s income exceeds £35,000. You can read about this separate scheme and the opt-out process on mygov.scot.
The Scottish Government has confirmed that you must opt out using the online form on mygov.scot by 10 October 2025 if you do not wish to receive the pension age winter heating payment.
