Millions of households getting £450 cash for energy bills directly into accounts

David Bentley
·3-min read
A elderly man is standing behind a seated woman who is working on a computer
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Millions of people are to get winter support of up to £450 going straight into their accounts. The cash will help with heating bills over the coming months as temperatures plunge.

Many households are already receiving letters confirming their eligibility for the Warm Home Discount of £150, while others are being contacted about the Winter Fuel Payment of £200 or £300. Some will receive both amounts.

Several people on BirminghamLive's Cost of Living group have said they've had been notified in writing about the discount and some have received letters explaining the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment.

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Around 1.5 million people in pensioner households are this year in line for the Winter Fuel Payment, most of them on Pension Credit. In addition, 3.14 million households received the Warm Home Discount in 2023/2024 with a similar number expected to be potentially eligible this winter.

There's some crossover between the two payments, with some set to receive both because eligibility is more closely aligned following the new restrictions to the Winter Fuel Payment. However, the Warm Home Discount is not just for pensioners but is also aimed at low-income benefit recipients of working age so a higher number of people should get it.

Following Labour's announcement in July, the Winter Fuel Payment is now aimed at people in pensioner households who get Pension Credit, along with those in mixed-age households - where one person is of State Pension age and the other isn't - who are on Universal Credit, Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit.

This year's Winter Fuel Payment will be £200 for those who were born between September 23, 1944, and September 22, 1958, and a higher level of £300 for the over-80s, who will have been born before September 23, 1944. It goes into the same bank account as your benefits and is usually paid in November or December.

Meanwhile, the Warm Home Discount is credited to your electricity account with your energy provider, though you can ask for it to come off your gas bill instead if you are on a dual-fuel supply. Unlike the Winter Fuel Payment, it's not limited to people of pension age but has its own set of criteria.

People on the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit qualify automatically for this rebate. Others may be eligible if they are on some other means-tested benefits and live in a home that has been calculated to have high energy costs, based either on its age, size and type or on its Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

These other DWP benefits to qualify for the discount include the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit, plus income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit.

People who get both of these allowances would receive a total of £450 if on the higher level of Winter Fuel Payment. Others would be in line for £350. In addition, several other payments are due over the coming weeks and months.

Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp. Join our dedicated community for the latest updates. You can find out more in our Money Saving Newsletter, which is sent out daily with all the updates you need to know on pensions, PIP, Universal Credit, benefits, finances, bills, and shopping discounts.

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