Winter Fuel Payment claim form 2026 to 2027 (WFP1)

What is WFP1 Winter Fuel Payment claim?

The Winter Fuel Payment is a yearly payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to help older people with heating costs. For winter 2026 to 2027 you can get it if you were born on or before 27 June 1960 and usually live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Most people who are eligible are paid automatically, because they already get the State Pension or another DWP benefit.

The WFP1 claim form is for everyone else: people who have reached State Pension age but don't get any DWP benefit or pension (for example because they deferred their State Pension), and people DWP has asked to apply. What you get depends on your circumstances in the qualifying week, 21 to 27 September 2026: where you lived, who you lived with, and whether you were in hospital, a care home or custody.

FileIt walks you through all 29 questions in plain English, skips the ones your answers make unnecessary, checks your date of birth against this winter's cut-off, and prints your answers in capitals into DWP's own official PDF. You print it, sign it and post it to the Winter Fuel Payment Centre yourself. FileIt never submits anything.

Who needs to fill out WFP1 Winter Fuel Payment claim?

• People born on or before 27 June 1960 who live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and don't get the State Pension or any other DWP benefit, for example because they have deferred their State Pension.
• Anyone DWP has written to asking them to fill in a claim form.
• Appointees and attorneys claiming for an older relative who can't manage their own affairs.
• Not for people already getting the State Pension, Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance and the other benefits gov.uk lists: they are paid automatically.
• Not for people living in Scotland: the form says Winter Fuel Payment is only for people living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

When to use WFP1 Winter Fuel Payment claim

• From 21 September 2026, when postal claims open for winter 2026 to 2027, up to 31 March 2027, when DWP must have received it.
• Once a winter. Each winter has its own form with its own qualifying week and date-of-birth cut-off, so don't reuse last year's.

What you need before you start

• Your National Insurance number.
• Your full name, any other last names you've used and your date of birth.
• Your current address, when you moved there, and your address in the qualifying week if it was different.
• Whether you lived with anyone during 21 to 27 September 2026, and the date of birth of anyone you lived with who was born on or before 27 June 1960.
• At least one phone number.
• Bank or building society details: name on the account, sort code, account number and any roll number.
• Your nationality, and admission and discharge dates for any hospital or care home stay around the qualifying week.

What’s on WFP1 Winter Fuel Payment claim

The 2026 edition has 7 pages. FileIt asks for it in 6 parts, and it is signed by Claimant:

1. About you (01-08)Claimant
2. The qualifying week, 21 to 27 September 2026 (09-14)Claimant
3. Contact details (15-18)Claimant
4. Bank details (19-23)Claimant
5. More information we need to know (24-28)Claimant
6. DeclarationClaimant

How to fill out WFP1 Winter Fuel Payment claim, step by step

1 About you (questions 01 to 08)

Your National Insurance number, first names in full, last name and any other last names you've been known by, then your date of birth. You must be born on or before 27 June 1960.

Give your current address and when you moved there. Question 08 lets you add a separate mailing address or PO Box for all future letters. If you're filling it in for someone else, give their details, not yours.

2 The qualifying week (questions 09 to 14)

Question 09 asks whether you were subject to immigration control between 21 and 27 September 2026. If you were, you don't qualify and don't need to claim. Page 2 of the form explains who counts.

Questions 10 to 12 cover a move: if you live somewhere different now, give the address you had in the qualifying week and when you moved there. Questions 13 and 14 ask whether you lived with anyone that week and whether they were born on or before 27 June 1960, with their date of birth. This matters because the amount can depend on who else in the home is eligible.

3 Contact details (questions 15 to 18)

Mobile, home and work phone numbers and email. They are all optional on their own, but you must give at least one phone number so DWP can process the application.

4 Bank details (questions 19 to 23)

The name on the account exactly as it appears on the debit card, passbook or statement, the bank or building society, the 6-digit sort code and the account number (most are 8 digits). Add a building society roll or reference number only if the account has one. DWP warns that wrong details can delay the payment or mean you don't receive it.

5 More information (questions 24 to 28)

Your nationality and any second nationality. Then whether, between 21 and 27 September 2026, you were getting free inpatient care in an NHS or other hospital, whether you were in residential care at an independent hospital or care home that charges, and whether you were in custody serving a court sentence for that whole week. Give admission and discharge dates for any stay, leaving the discharge date blank if you're still there.

6 Declaration

By signing you confirm the information is correct and complete and agree to report changes straight away. An appointee signs and dates for the person the form is about. If you have Power of Attorney and haven't sent certified copies of your documents before, include them.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Claiming when you're paid automatically. If you get the State Pension or one of the other benefits gov.uk lists, you don't need to claim.
• Using a form for the wrong winter. The qualifying week and the date-of-birth cut-off change every year.
• Leaving out every phone number. The form says you must give at least one.
• Writing the account name differently from how the bank shows it, or getting the sort code or account number wrong.
• Forgetting to answer the qualifying-week questions about who you lived with. They can change the amount.
• Posting the form unsigned. DWP says you must sign it before sending it.
• Missing the deadline. DWP must receive the claim by 31 March 2027.

After you fill it out

Print the form, check every answer, then sign and date the declaration on page 6.

Post it to Winter Fuel Payment Centre, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 1LR, with certified copies of Power of Attorney documents if they apply. DWP must receive it by 31 March 2027. You can also claim by phone from 19 October 2026. FileIt doesn't send it for you.

gov.uk says eligible people get a letter in October or November telling them how much they'll get. If your personal income is over £35,000, HMRC will take the payment back through your tax code or Self Assessment. Keep a copy of your claim in FileIt.

WFP1 Winter Fuel Payment claim: frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Blank form (PDF), published by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a998794f5b35599aec191ba/winter-fuel-payment-form-2026-to-2027.pdf
• Official instructions and guidance: https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment
• Edition shown on this page: WFP1 07/26 (winter 2026 to 2027) (checked 2026-09-28).

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-09-28.

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