His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs has issued a warning to two million people who owe £200 to stay vigilant. The tax authority is recovering the Winter Fuel Payment from pensioners whose income exceeds £35,000.
HMRC has cautioned that scammers are targeting customers through texts, emails and phone calls to steal money. Most people in this group will have the £200 collected automatically through a change in their PAYE tax code starting from April 2026. There is no need to contact HMRC about this.
The HMRC website explains that most people will have the payment recovered through their PAYE tax code from April 2026 without needing to contact anyone. Those who file Self Assessment online should find the payment already included in their 2025 to 2026 tax return which is due by January 31, 2027. Customers should verify this and add it manually if it does not appear. People who file paper returns must add it themselves by October 31, 2026.
HMRC will never contact people by text or email asking them to repay their Winter Fuel Payment or requesting bank details. This policy applies throughout the UK where HMRC manages these cases.
Myrtle Lloyd from HMRC said that criminals are skilled at pretending to be HMRC through fake letters emails, calls and texts to trick people into handing over money.
She encouraged anyone who is uncertain to use the online tool at GOV.UK to check whether & how their payment will be recovered without needing to call.
DWP Payment Update 2026: Pensioners Born Before 1960 Could Receive Automatic £200–£300 Support
For a standard Winter Fuel Payment of £200, PAYE customers earning more than £35000 will pay around £17 extra per month in tax during the 2026 to 2027 tax year to repay their payment.
People can report suspicious texts claiming to be from HMRC by forwarding them to 60599. Suspicious emails should be forwarded to [email protected]. Scam phone calls can be reported through GOV.UK. Anyone who has lost money should contact their bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud. In Scotland people should contact police on 101.
More information about how HMRC recovers these payments can be found at www.gov.uk/guidance/paying-back-the-winter-fuel-payment.
