These include the Warm Home Discount, Cold Weather Payments and Household Support Scheme. They may all offer vital help to vulnerable homes as winter looms and there is other support out there.
With Ofgem’s energy price cap set to rise by 10% in October to £1,717 a year for the average dual-fuel household, the heat is on for pensioners this winter. This makes claiming even more important.
The first step is to check whether you can still get the Winter Fuel Payment. Almost a million pensioners are thought to qualify but don’t get it because they have failed to claim means-tested state pension top-up Pension Credit.
This is available to retirees on low incomes in England, Scotland and Wales. Check eligibility for you or a loved one by calling the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234.
Around three million may also get the Warm Home Discount, said Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown. “This is a £150 rebate paid at some point between October and March.”
The money is paid directly to the energy provider, rather than you. “If you’re eligible, and your energy supplier is part of the scheme, this will automatically be applied to bills in England and Wales,” Coles said.
You qualify if you get Pension Credit or are on specific benefits and have high energy costs. In Scotland you may need to apply.
If eligible, you should receive a letter between October and January 2025 explaining your status and whether you need to take further action.
If you haven’t received this letter by January, check with your supplier or the Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 030 9322 before February 28, 2025.
For those using pay-as-you-go or prepayment meters, the discount will come as a voucher that can be used to top up your meter.
During particularly bleak periods of the winter, you may also get Cold Weather Payments, Coles said. “In England and Wales, those on specific benefits will get £25 for each seven-day period between November and the end of March where the average temperature is below freezing.”
In Scotland this has been replaced by the Winter Heating Payment, a £50 one-off payment made to everyone who qualifies, regardless of how low the temperature gets.
Labour has extended the temporary Household Support Fund, giving local authorities in England £421million to help people most in need with energy, food and water costs, and £79 million for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Support is available from your local council and is designed to help people in desperate circumstances, Coles said. “They will have specific criteria and an application process, so get in touch and ask.”
If still struggling, contact your energy supplier sooner rather than later, Coles said. “Under Ofgem rules, they have to offer support such as an affordable payment plan, payment reductions or time to pay.”
She added: “It’s worth coming to an agreement with your supplier, as they can move you to a repayment meter if you don’t.”
If you still can’t pay, contact a debt charity like StepChange or Citizens Advice who can look for solutions on your behalf.
Your supplier may also offer non-repayable grants to people suffering real financial difficulties. The major energy providers tend to offer them to their own customers, including EDF, E.ON Next, Shell and ScottishPower.
British Gas Energy Trust offers grants to people who are struggling, regardless of whether they are a British Gas customer, Coles added. “You need to contact the trust and check its eligibility rules and how to apply. The process can be onerous, but debt charities can help.”
Citizens Advice will also be able to guide you towards any other help that’s available locally within your community.
