Pensioners have been urged to apply for the £150 Warm Home Discount with just hours left to claim.
The extra support comes from the government’s Warm House discount scheme, paid to struggling households to help with energy bills during winter.
Households who qualify for the scheme will be sent letters between now and December. To be eligible, households must have claimed one of nine means-tested benefits in August.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, which administers the £150 Warm Home Discount, says households must have had an active claim for any of the following benefits on Sunday, August 11:
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Guaranteed credit element of pension credit
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Income support
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Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
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Income-related employment and support allowance
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Housing benefit
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Universal Credit
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Child tax credit
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Working tax credits
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The “Savings Credit” part of the pension credit
Those not claiming pension credit can ensure they get the £150ac by backdating a pension credit claim, which can be done up to three months.
It is estimated that 765,000 people are eligible for the Warm House scheme but have not applied. To qualify, claims need to be submitted by today, November 10, and backdated to cover August 11.
In England and Wales, households will receive a letter between October and January telling them that they are eligible and the discount is automatic or that they may be eligible and need to provide more information.
If you do not receive a letter and think you are eligible, call the helpline on 0800 030 9322. If eligible, the discount will be applied to your energy bill by the end of March.
In Scotland, there is a “core group” that will receive an automatic payment and a “broader group” that must apply for the scheme.
Households must contact their energy provider directly to check eligibility and how to apply. The scheme will have more applicants than places, so apply as soon as possible.
