A BBC expert has said millions of people may want to take action on or after April 1 - or face paying ‘double’ back to HMRC. Consumer expert Rebecca Wilcox explained to BBC Morning Live viewers that anyone who has more than £35,000 taxable income may want to opt out of the 2026 winter fuel payment - or face paying back a sum of ‘£33 each month’ back because of the change.

She warned that from April millions of households are being contacted by HMRC and told they may need to repay their Winter Fuel Payment. And she explained that some may want to take action to stop themselves from getting teh money to avoid the repayment process.

Ms Wilcox said that a key change later this year means people would be paying back double the full amount. On cancelling it in advance she explained: “If you know your personal income is going to be over the threshold of £35,000 then opt out of it for the next year and then you don’t have to worry about the next payment. You cannot do this until April 1. The reason you’ll want to opt out is because the payments are going to double just for one year.

"This is because the taxman is in debt, he’s in arrears, because he’s paid out all this money and it wants to claw this money back. For one year it is going to charge everybody double on their repayments so it can get back into the normal process of taking the money from you and then returning it. It wants to have its money so for one year it is going to charge you, say you were doing, for example we were talking about, of £17 per month tax deductions, it’s going to charge you double, £34 per month for that one year and then it will go back to £17.

“So that’s why you might want to opt out if you know you’re going to be earning £35,000 and above. If your income then drops just be aware you will ahve to opt back in to receive the winter fuel payment.”

Ms Wilcox explained to BBC Morning Live viewers: “The Winter Fuel Payment was a lump sum that was paid out to help you with your fuel bills during the cold months of November and December. That’s when the payments were made. What happened was they paid everybody who was over the age threshold. You were eligible to keep it if you were born before 22 September 1959 - that’s for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Or the 21 September 1959 in Scotland.

“If you’re born before that and you earn £35,000 exactly and under you can keep it. If you earn even a penny over the £35,000 of your personal, taxable income, then you will need to pay back this payment. The payment was between £100 and £300 and that number was calculated on your circumstances, your household circumstances and how old you are.

“For some this is going to be the first they’ve heard about repayment. And there’s a reason that this is happening and it’s because HMRC can do many things but it cannot predict the future. it has no idea how much you’re going to earn in that future tax year. So it’s just given it to everybody and then when it knows how much you’ve earned which is April, it will take back the money that it paid you back in November.

“If you earn over £35,000 and are within the age bracket you will be required to pay this back in full.” She said HMRC has an online checker if people aren’t sure if they earn over that threshold.

Winter Fuel Payments, known in Scotland as Pension Age Winter Heating Payments, are annual cash grants intended to help with winter energy bills. For the latest payment, eligibility applies to people born before 22 September 1959 in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, and before 21 September 1959 in Scotland.

The payment itself ranges from £100 to £300 depending on age and household circumstances. HMRC cannot confirm final income until the tax year ends. Because payments need to be issued before winter, the system works by paying everyone of qualifying age first and then contacting those who turn out to be above the income threshold later.

In most cases, the money will be recovered automatically through the tax system. HMRC will adjust the person’s tax code in the 2026 to 2027 tax year. The repayment appears as an underpayment, meaning slightly higher tax deductions will be taken each month.

There is no interest charged on the amount being repaid. For example, someone who received £200 could see their monthly income reduced by around £17 while the repayment is collected.

People who complete a Self Assessment tax return will instead see the repayment added to their tax bill for the 2025 to 2026 tax year. Anyone who believes the calculation is incorrect can challenge the decision with HMRC.

From 1 April 2026, households can opt out of the 2026 to 2027 payment by contacting the Winter Fuel Payment Centre or completing a form online. You will need your National Insurance number to do this.

Once you opt out, you will not receive future payments unless you choose to opt back in.

The main reason to opt out if you expect your income to stay above the threshold is because from the 2027 to 2028 tax year, HMRC plans to recover payments in advance rather than in arrears, meaning deductions could be roughly double.

For a typical £200 payment, this could mean around £33 a month being taken through the tax system instead of about £17. The deductions are expected to return to the lower monthly amount in the following tax year.