Winter Fuel Payment

The Winter Fuel Payment is a state benefit paid once per year in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to some people old enough to have been born before a specific date. It is intended to cover the additional costs of heating over the winter months. While it was introduced in 1997 as a universal benefit for pensioners, it was controversially changed in 2025 so that it is only offered to pensioners who receive means tested benefits such as pension credit.