State pensioners are being urged to check their bank statements for a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) code before Tuesday, March 31, for a potential £300 boost. Around nine million pensioners in England and Wales are eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment in the 2025/26 tax year, which is worth between £100 and £300.

The vast majority of pensioners who qualify for the energy bill help should have already received the payment automatically at the end of last year, with the money appearing in bank accounts by mid-December. But eligible pensioners who did not receive a payment from the DWP by January 28, 2026, need to contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre before the end of this month.

The deadline to make a claim for winter 2025 to 2026 is on Tuesday, March 31, so pensioners have just days left to claim their payment.

You can check if you’ve received a Winter Fuel Payment by looking for a DWP code on your bank statement. The payment reference should begin with your National Insurance number, followed by the code ‘DWP WFP’.

In a reminder to pensioners to check their bank statements, Gordon Wallis from independent fuel distributor Your NRG said: “Every pound matters, particularly during the winter months when heating costs can rise sharply

“We’re encouraging pensioners and their families to double-check that payments have been received and that no support is being left unclaimed.

“It’s important for households to understand how the scheme works, particularly if their circumstances have changed. A quick check now could prevent unnecessary financial pressure later.”

The Winter Fuel Payment amount you get depends on when you were born and your circumstances during the qualifying week between September 15 and 21, 2025.

You’ll get either £200 if you were born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959, or £300 if you were born before September 22, 1945.

For pensioners with a taxable income above £35,000, the DWP has confirmed that the payment will be reclaimed through their tax code from April 2026 or their tax return for the 2025/26 financial year.

Most pensioners should have received the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if they’re eligible and if you get any of the following benefits you don’t need to claim it:

• State Pension
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• Attendance Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Carer’s Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Income Support
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• awards from the War Pensions Scheme
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Incapacity Benefit
• Industrial Death Benefit

If you don’t get any of these then you’ll need to submit a claim by Tuesday, March 31, for the payment if either of the following apply:

• you’ve not got the Winter Fuel Payment before
• you’ve deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment

The DWP said: “If any pensioner has questions on whether they are eligible or has not received a payment by 28 January 2026, they are encouraged to contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160.”