DWP confirms 5 groups that won’t be eligible for winter fuel payment | Personal Finance | Finance

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has identified groups who will not benefit from winter fuel payments this season. Residents of England and Wales and born before 22 September 1959 can receive financial assistance from the DWP to help pay bills and heat your home during the colder months.

Following the government’s U-turn announced on June 11, payments were resumed for around nine million retirees this year. Eligible individuals can expect to receive a reward of between £100 and £300. Most qualified recipients will receive the funds automatically. However, as confirmed by the DWP, five categories of over-66s will not receive this financial assistance. Manchester Evening News reports.

You are not eligible for winter fuel payments if:

• Earn over £35,000 per year.
• They were hospitalized and received free treatment for the entire week between September 15 and 21, 2025 (and the previous year).
• They were imprisoned for the entire week between September 15 and September 21, 2025.
• You are a resident of a nursing home, receive certain benefits and live there all year round from 23 June 2025 or earlier.
• If you need permission to enter the UK, the permission you are granted prohibits you from claiming public funds.

If a state pensioner earns more than £35,000 for the 2025/26 tax year, the payment will be clawed back the following year through an adjustment to your tax law. This usually happens automatically through the pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) system.

If you are self-employed or a high-income earner, the money will be refunded when you submit a self-assessment tax return. Alternatively, you may choose to waive the payment rather than have it recouped through these methods.

Certain care home residents will be eligible for this payment, but you will not receive it if both of the following conditions apply:

• You receive Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-related Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
• You have lived in a care home for the entire year from or before 23 June 2025.

If you qualify for a winter fuel payment, you will receive a letter in October or November telling you how much money you will receive. The DWP says most people will receive their payments in November or December this year.

It’s important to be wary of scams involving payments pretending to be from a government service. Never disclose personal information such as your bank account information or passwords.

Pensioners resident in Northern Ireland may be eligible to receive a Winter Fuel Payment from the Northern Ireland Executive. Eligibility criteria will be the same as in England and Wales.

People living in Scotland do not receive the winter fuel payment, but pensioners may be entitled to the winter heating payment. You can find more information about the winter fuel payment on the government website.