Winter fuel allowance

I had my £200 WFA and also my £10 bonus last week. What a nonsense, I now have to remember to put the WFA details on my tax return in around 6 mths time when it's completed. What with the cost of notifying people, issuing payments, clawing them back plus the cost of paying out the £10's how much money is being wasted here???

Recieved mind last week.

I'm in Scotland,not even had a letter yet.. told it can be anywhere beween November and February! Bit pointless in February. Surely they should all be sent out by mid December?

I was surprised to receive my letter. I thought it was stopped. Is it because I've reached a certain age?

knspol

I had my £200 WFA and also my £10 bonus last week. What a nonsense, I now have to remember to put the WFA details on my tax return in around 6 mths time when it's completed. What with the cost of notifying people, issuing payments, clawing them back plus the cost of paying out the £10's how much money is being wasted here???

If you are sure your income will exceed £35,000 then you could have opted out of receiving the Winter Fuel Payment.

Obviously, the deadline for than has now passed for 2025/26 but reopens again for 2026/27 from 1 April 2026:

www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/report-change-circumstances

Mojack26

I'm in Scotland,not even had a letter yet.. told it can be anywhere beween November and February! Bit pointless in February. Surely they should all be sent out by mid December?

l'm in Scotland and received a letter dated 25 November from Social Security Scotland, and payment on 1st December. In Scotland it's called Pension Age Winter Heating Allowance not Winter Fuel Payment and is paid in by SSSPAWHP on your bank account.

I haven’t received mine - don’t understand why. My income is certainly less than £35000 pa and no letter either.

Dh has received his.
We both wonder whether it would be better for the government to pay it after Christmas so it's used to pay the fuel bill. We think this because we know several people who use it to buy extra Christmas presents, rather than keeping warm.
We use solid fuel so technically, it benefits us to receive it now as we buy our fuel before we use it but we budget so we don't go without heat or hot water during the colder months.

We had our letters weeks ago, but no payments yet, either WFA or the £10 bonus.

Sarahr

Dh has received his.
We both wonder whether it would be better for the government to pay it after Christmas so it's used to pay the fuel bill. We think this because we know several people who use it to buy extra Christmas presents, rather than keeping warm.
We use solid fuel so technically, it benefits us to receive it now as we buy our fuel before we use it but we budget so we don't go without heat or hot water during the colder months.

researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06019/SN06019.pdf

Two things.

It has never been obligatory to spend the WFP on fuel (page 21). It is a general income supplement. Over time there have been moves to rename it just Winter Payment but research from the IFS, funded by the Nuffield Foundation found that leaving Fuel in the name “nudged” people to towards spending more of it on extra fuel.

In 2012, SNP MP Mike Weir presented a Private Members Bill - the Winter Fuel Allowance Payments (Off Gas Grid Claimants) Bill to bring forward the date of payment to help off grid households to buy in winter fuel at discounted summer prices (page 16). The Coalition government objected to a second reading.

I had wfa last week and it is very welcome, I put the ch up a 1/2 degree this morning and am expecting a boiler repair bill, which will be more than wfa. I also turned rads on in my sewing room and my wellness room. Time to tweak ch as I had a couple of white fingers last week

The letter I received said payments would be made throughout November and December and if not received by mid-Janauary (can't remember the actual date) you should contact DWP.

Also, State Pension Payments are made 4 weekly, with the day determined by the last two digits of your National Insurance number.

PaynesGray

knspol

I had my £200 WFA and also my £10 bonus last week. What a nonsense, I now have to remember to put the WFA details on my tax return in around 6 mths time when it's completed. What with the cost of notifying people, issuing payments, clawing them back plus the cost of paying out the £10's how much money is being wasted here???

If you are sure your income will exceed £35,000 then you could have opted out of receiving the Winter Fuel Payment.

Obviously, the deadline for than has now passed for 2025/26 but reopens again for 2026/27 from 1 April 2026:

www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/report-change-circumstances

Thank you for that PaynesGray I did not know that, much appreciated!

My friend opted out, I think it had to be done by a date in the middle of September.
She does like to remind people just how well off she is and this was just to reinforce it 😉

Received mine last week! Much appreciated, as I didn’t think I would qualify (not on Pension Credit).

I was adamant I hadn't received mine, but I did an online bank check this evening, and I was paid my £300 about 3 weeks ago. I totally missed it, which was very unusual.

I don't intend to be cold or hungry, and neither will happen unless the system breaks down.

Usedtobeblonde

My friend opted out, I think it had to be done by a date in the middle of September.
She does like to remind people just how well off she is and this was just to reinforce it 😉

If her pension is £35,000 and over, she'd be paying it back in tax anyway. No need for virtue signalling!

Got mine last week- spent on new tyres for my son's van he needs for his business!

Well, the heat has been on here and I don't feel guilty.

Charleygirl5

I was adamant I hadn't received mine, but I did an online bank check this evening, and I was paid my £300 about 3 weeks ago. I totally missed it, which was very unusual.

I don't intend to be cold or hungry, and neither will happen unless the system breaks down.

Now I feel miffed!
I “only” got £200.
Was that not right?

Haven't got mine yet, but I did get the Warm Home voucher a few weeks ago. I live in a Victorian building with high ceilings so it's expensive to keep warm. The extra money really makes a difference.

RosieandherMaw

Charleygirl5

I was adamant I hadn't received mine, but I did an online bank check this evening, and I was paid my £300 about 3 weeks ago. I totally missed it, which was very unusual.

I don't intend to be cold or hungry, and neither will happen unless the system breaks down.

Now I feel miffed!
I “only” got £200.
Was that not right?

You don’t look old enough for £300 Maw that’s why you only got 2 😂