July 15, 2026
Article
During winter 2025, the Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) was once again paid to individuals of state pensionable age, but there is an important tax consequence for higher-income pensioners, which was brought into effect from April 2025.
If an individual’s total income for the 2025/26 tax year exceeds £35,000, the full amount of their WFP will be ‘clawed back’ through the tax system. Crucially, this is not the same as making the payment itself taxable. Instead, HMRC imposes a separate tax charge equal to the amount received.
Therefore, in practice, anyone who earns just above the £35,000 threshold may find that the whole payment is clawed back, creating a sharp cliff edge.
Total income is assessed on an individual basis, not by household. Each individual has their own WFP entitlement, even if it is paid as a combined amount, to a husband and wife for example. As such, if only one person’s income exceeds £35,000, the clawback will apply to them alone, with the other remaining unaffected.
The figure used is total income before deductions, such as the personal allowance, or relief for charitable gift aid donations, and includes pensions, employment income, savings income, dividends rental profits, and other sources.
For taxpayers within Self-Assessment, the charge will be collected through the 2025/26 tax return. For those outside Self-Assessment, HMRC will recover it by adjusting the PAYE tax code for 2026/27, meaning slightly higher monthly tax deductions. This can come as a surprise to pensioners who thought the payment was tax-free support.
Individuals just exceeding the £35,000 limit may wish to review whether they want to continue claiming the WFP, or whether to opt-out for simplicity.