A key eligibility deadline has been confirmed for people hoping to receive up to £300 through the Winter Fuel Payment scheme for winter 2026/27, with the government setting a June birth date cut-off for applicants.

Winter Fuel Payments are tax-free annual payments designed to help older people manage heating costs during the colder months. According to updated guidance, individuals must have been born on or before 27 June 1960 to qualify for this year’s support package.

Eligible recipients could receive between £100 and £300, depending on their circumstances, to help with energy bills during winter 2026/27.

Questions over the June cut-off date were raised in Parliament this week when Labour MP Michael Wheeler asked why eligibility rules had been set around that timeline.

Responding on behalf of the government, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions Torsten Bell explained that Winter Fuel Payments are linked to State Pension age rules. He said eligibility is based on whether a person reaches State Pension age by the end of the qualifying week, which for winter 2026/27 runs from 21 September to 27 September 2026.

Bell also noted that the State Pension age for men and women is gradually increasing from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028. People born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 will reach State Pension age at 66 years old plus additional months, depending on their exact birth date.