There is just 10 days until the cut-off for people to ‘get their finances in order’ BBC Morning Live was told
A BBC expert has said people have just 10 days to ‘get their finances in order’ before the Winter Fuel Payment cut-off and highlighted the ‘£673 rule’. Appearing on BBC Morning Live, finance expert Laura Pomfret said some pensioners may need to take action over the payment.
The Winter Fuel Payment was reinstated by Chancellor Rachel Reeves for around 9 million state pensioners who missed out in 2024. However not everyone will get it – people earning over £35,000 must pay it back – and there’s a key deadline in 10 days, Ms Pomfret said.
The winter fuel payment is this one-off tax repayment from the government to help older people with the cost of heating their home, especially during these colder months. It’s worth between £100 and £300 depending on age, household circumstances. Ms Pomfret said: “People over 80 get a higher amount, couples both entitled to a payment that live together, get a different amount and most people won’t need to do anything. This is an automatic payment. you received in about November, December, just when you need it, paid directly into your bank account or via the usual method where you collect your benefits or your pension.”
“This year to be eligible, you have to have been born before the 23rd of September 1959, which broadly anyone aged 66 and above.” And she explained there were some changes to the 2025 payment which could mean some people need to take urgent action.
Historically, the payment was given to all people over the state pension age, but now it means tests, so anyone with a taxable income over £35,000 is not entitled to it. Ms Pomfret said the £35,000 threshold includes income from the state pension or private pension, as well as any money through employment or self-employment, any savings interest that isn’t from an ISA.
She explained next week is the key to work out who gets it: “Eligibility is assessed during what we call the qualifying week, which is coming up. It’s the 15th to the 21st of September. And essentially the government looks at what you earn during that week, and if you earn over £673 then you won’t be eligible, but if you earn less than that, well, if you get £673 or less, you will be entitled to it, and that’s just over a week away, so one frustration with some people is whatever they earn, they’re going to have to get it and have to give it back.”
If people do need to repay the money, Ms Pomfret explained: ”You won’t receive a bill for it. If you have to pay it back, it’ll come back through your tax code.”
One viewer asked how to opt out if they don’t want the winter fuel payment. Ms Pomfret said people could just opt out rather than having to pay it back.
She explained: “If you want to do this, you need to formally opt out and so you need to go within 10 days before this 15th of September deadline to gov.uk and you search winter fuel payment, opt out, and you fill in a really short form, and this is how you can opt out and not get given it, but you have to do it before midnight on the 15th of September.
“Now if you don’t want to do it online and you prefer to ring someone, you can ring the winter fuel payment centre to tell them directly, you have to do it by 6pm because they shut, they’re not going to be on the phones until midnight, I’m afraid. But that’s 0800 731 0160.”
Visit the gov website to opt out of the winter fuel payment.