Earlier this year Chancellor Rachel Reeves told reporters that “more people will get winter fuel payment this winter”, adding that further details will be announced “as soon as we possibly can”.
She said: “People should be in no doubt that the means test will increase and more people will get winter fuel payment this winter.”
Will all pensioners receive winter fuel payments?
In short, no. While the new moves extend eligibility to an estimated extra 7.4 million pensioners this winter, the following five groups will either not receive it, or must repay it.
Who isn’t eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment under the new rules
People who:
- live outside England and Wales
- were in hospital getting free treatment for the whole of the week of September 15 to 21, 2025, and the year before that
- need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says that you cannot claim public funds
- were in prison for the whole of the week of September 15 to 21, 2025
- or whose income is over £35,000 (although these people will still have it paid, but HMRC will take it back).
Pensions minister Torsten Bell told MPs that there is no prospect of returning to universal winter fuel payments.
Speaking to the Work and Pensions Committee, Mr Bell said: “Directly on your question of is there any prospect of a universal winter fuel payment, the answer is no, the principle I think most people, 95% of people, agree, that it’s not a good idea that we have a system paying a few hundreds of pounds to millionaires, and so we’re not going to be continuing with that.
“But we will be looking at making more pensioners eligible.”
Very pleased to just hear the Prime Minister has just said he wants more state pensioners to get Winter Fuel Payments (WFP) and they will work out what they’re doing in time for the budget.
As I’ve said since day one, there are two main problems with the way the means testing…
— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) May 21, 2025
Mr Bell said he did not have “lots to add” to what Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had said recently about the allowance.
He told the MPs: “Of course the announcement, as and when it’s made, will be made to the House.”
Sir Keir had signalled a partial U-turn over the Government’s decision to strip winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners.
The pensions minister has ruled out returning winter fuel allowance to all pensioners – our recent poll found 33% wanted to do so, but more (44%) thought they should continue to be means tested, but given to more pensioners than under current rules
Results link in following… pic.twitter.com/QiyE2YetgR
— YouGov (@YouGov) June 4, 2025
The Prime Minister said “as the economy improves”, he wanted to look at widening eligibility for the payments, which are worth up to £300.
What were the cuts to winter fuel payments, and who received them last winter?
On July 29 2024, the Government announced that from winter 2024, winter fuel payments would be dependent on receiving another means-tested benefit, as part of measures to fill a “black hole” in the public finances.
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This meant the number of pensioners receiving the payment was reduced by around 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million.
Pension credit is the primary benefit by which pensioners can receive the winter fuel payment.
The credit tops up incomes for poorer pensioners and acts as a gateway to additional support, including the winter fuel payment.
