The first is the Winter Fuel Payment, which is worth £300 depending on your age and living arrangements, and the second is the £150 Warm Home Discount off your electricity bill
Millions of UK households will get two payments totalling £450 this winter to help with rising energy bills.
The first is the Winter Fuel Payment, which is worth £300 depending on your age and living arrangements. This is being sent to older Brits who are above state pension age and who claim certain means-tested benefits. The second is the Warm Home Discount, worth £150.
But unlike the Winter Fuel Payment, which is awarded as a cash payment into your bank account, the Warm Home Discount is added to your electricity account, so you get a direct discount on your energy bills. If you’re a prepayment customer, you’ll receive a voucher in the post. The Warm Home Discount is also awarded to people on benefits.
Winter Fuel Payment – £300
Winter Fuel Payments used to be available to everyone over state pension age, but the rules have changed so that you now need to be in receipt of certain means-tested benefits. The Government has been urged by charities to U-turn on this decision over fears it could leave millions of pensioners unable to heat their homes.
New estimates done by the Government show the squeeze on Winter Fuel Payments will force 100,000 pensioners into poverty in 2026. Labour said it had been “forced” to limit the payment due to the “£22billion black hole” it blamed the Conservatives for leaving behind.
You must be over state pension age and have been claiming one of the following benefits between September 16 and September 22, 2024 to get a Winter Fuel Payment:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
Most people receive their Winter Fuel Payment in November or December – but it can take up until March next year. If you’re eligible, you should have received a letter in October or November saying how much you’ll get. You’ll receive £200 if you were born between September 23, 1944 and September 22, 1958, or £300 if you were born before September 23, 1944.
Warm Home Discount – £150
You should get the Warm Home Discount automatically if you, or your partner, receive the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit – this is known as “core group one”. You, or your partner, need to have been claiming Pension Credit on the qualifying date, which for this winter was August 11.
You should also get the discount automatically in England and Wales if you claim certain benefits and have high energy costs. Benefits that qualify you for the Warm Home Discount in England and Wales are:
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Housing Benefit
-
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
-
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
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Income Support
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“Savings Credit” part of Pension Credit
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Universal Credit
You could also qualify if your household income falls below a certain threshold and you get:
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Child Tax Credit
-
Working Tax Credit
If you live in Scotland and you claim benefits, you’ll need to apply for the Warm Home Discount through your supplier under the “broader group” criteria. Your electricity supplier may have extra eligibility criteria, as it is up to them who gets the discount in Scotland.
