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Winter Fuel Payment recipients soar by 9.6 million after major Government U-turn
The rise followed a rule change that restored wider eligibility, with 11 million beneficiaries when pension-age partners are included, DWP statistics show.
- New DWP statistics show 10.9 million people in England and Wales received the Winter Fuel Payment in winter 2025 to 2026, marking a significant increase after the Government widened eligibility.
- This surge follows the Government's decision to reverse restrictive eligibility rules from the previous winter, when only pensioners receiving certain means-tested benefits qualified, resulting in 9.6 million additional recipients.
- North Yorkshire recorded the highest number of recipients at 150,000, while 70 per cent of all beneficiaries were under 80, with payments ranging from £100 to £300 depending on individual circumstances.
- Although eligibility widened, HMRC continues to recover payments from pensioners with income above £35,000 through the tax system, a mechanism estimated to affect 2.2 million pensioners across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
- Pensioners wishing to opt out of the Winter Fuel Payment must contact the helpline by September 18 or use the online service before 11.59pm on September 20, 2026.
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Telegraph & Argus+14 Reposted by 14 other sources
Winter Fuel Payment recipients soar by 9.6 million after major Government U-turn
Winter Fuel Payment recipients soared by 9.6 million to 10.9 million in England and Wales last winter after the Government widened eligibility.
·Bradford, United Kingdom
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‘Winter Fuel Payment is back – but more than 2m pensioners still won’t get it’
Reeves was forced to reverse her shock decision to restrict it to those on means-tested benefit Pension Credit, in just one of the many humiliating U-turns she became famous for. Now it’s being restored for the large majority of pensioners. New DWP figures show 10.9 million people received the payment in winter 2025/26, up from […]
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