AQW 31562/22-27
Ms Sian Mulholland
Alliance Party
North Antrim
Tabled Date: 18/09/2025
Answered On Date: 09/10/2025
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities, further to the reintroduction of the universal Winter Fuel Payment in 2025-26, to detail (i) whether receipt of the payment will result in higher tax deductions for pensioners with taxable income above £35,000 who did not opt out; (ii) whether the full £200-£300 is recovered with no taper; (iii) whether recovery will be applied through PAYE coding or require Self Assessment; and (iv) the Department’s estimate of the number of Northern Ireland pensioners affected in 2025-26.
Answer:
Please refer to HMRC for an answer to this question; Please refer to HMRC for an answer to this question; Please refer to HMRC for an answer to this question; Based on NISRA projections, it is estimated that approximately 336,600 pensioners in Northern Ireland will receive the Winter Fuel Payment in 2025/26. Of these, approximately 48,000 – around 14% – will have their payment recovered by HMRC. This compares favourably with England and Wales, where approximately 20% of pensioners will be affected by the payment recovery.
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