We’re delighted that on 9 June 2025, the Government announced that they are reinstating the Winter Fuel Payment for everyone over the State Pension age in England and Wales with an income of, or below, £35,000 a year will get the Winter Fuel Payment this winter.

The Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive will also receive more funding as a result of this change and therefore will hopefully have similar support (we are waiting on updates for this).

Thank you so much to everyone who campaigned with us to save the Winter Fuel Payment for struggling pensioners.  

It’s awful that older people had to go through this past winter without the money they needed. But the new policy means that older people can look ahead to the coming winter with more confidence.

There is more to do to tackle the scourge of fuel poverty, which impacts people of all ages. We will continue to campaign on this including the need for an energy social tariff.

But for now, it’s great that this winter will be a little bit easier.

What was the campaign?

In 2024, the Government announced that they would cut the Winter Fuel payment so that only those receiving Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits would receive it.  

The WPF cut had a significant impact over the winter — 9.1 million people aged 66+ said they were cold in their own homes in January. 

We argued that at least 2.5 million older people in poverty or just above the poverty line and disabled older people who needed the Winter Fuel Payment, would really struggle over the winter without it and wouldn’t be able to afford to stay adequately warm in their homes. 

Together, we: 

• Put pressure on the Government with a 650,056-signature strong petition and handwritten postcards. 
• Made sure every MP understood the impact the decision to cut the Winter Fuel Payment would have. Campaigners sent over 100,000 emails and we met with dozens of MPs from all parties to discuss the impact of the cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment and were mentioned in numerous debates in Parliament. 
• Got the campaign noticed in hundreds of articles across print and digital media, including from the petition hand-in. 

What is the Winter Fuel Payment?

Winter Fuel Payment is an annual tax-free payment for households that include someone born on or before 22 September 1958 (for 2024-25) and, from 2024 onwards, receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or an award of Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit of at least £26 for the tax year 2024-25. It's designed to help you cover your heating costs in winter, with households receiving up to £300. 

Households that are eligible normally receive this payment automatically. Read more here.  

You can also check if you're eligible for Pension Credit and find out how to apply here.