Winter Fuel Payment
Check if you need to claim
Most people get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if they’re eligible.
You do not need to claim if you get any of the following:
- State Pension
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Carer’s Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- awards from the War Pensions Scheme
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Incapacity Benefit
- Industrial Death Benefit
If 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 before
- you’ve deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment
How to claim
You can claim the Winter Fuel Payment by:
- post - from 21 September 2026
- phone - from 19 October 2026
The deadline for you to make a claim for winter 2026 to 2027 is 31 March 2027.
Claim by post
Fill in a Winter Fuel Payment claim form and send it to the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
Winter Fuel Payment Centre
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1LR
Claim by phone
Call the Winter Fuel Payment Centre to claim by phone.
Before you call, you’ll need:
- your National Insurance number
- the date you were married or entered into a civil partnership (if appropriate)
- your bank or building society details
Payments cannot be made into a National Savings and Investments (NS&I) account unless you already get other benefits paid into the account.
You’ll also need to say whether during the qualifying week of 21 to 27 September 2026 you were:
- in hospital getting free in-patient treatment
- in a residential care home or Ilford Park Resettlement Home
- in prison
Winter Fuel Payment Centre
Telephone: 0800 731 0160
Textphone: contact Relay UK on 18001 then 0800 731 0160
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges
If you disagree with a decision
You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for mandatory reconsideration.