Octopus Energy offers up to £200 support for state pensioners missing out on Winter Fuel Payments

Jayne Thomson & James Rodger
·2-min read
Octopus Energy has decided to extend its £30m Octo Assist fund to help those pensioners who need it most
-Credit: (Image: No credit)


Octopus Energy is stepping up to provide up to £200 each to state pensioners who have lost their £300 Winter Fuel Payments. Pensioners with Octopus Energy can apply for discretionary energy bill credits of £50, £100 and £200 after the new Labour Party government axed the payouts for anyone.

The company has decided to extend its £30m Octo Assist fund to help those pensioners who need it most. Lower income pension households who don't receive pension credit will now be able to claim new assistance from the fund, according to Octopus.

The DWP has stated that state pensioners must be born before September 23, 1958 to qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment of between £100 and £300.

Octopus has announced that thousands of discretionary credits of £50, £100 and £200 will be available to those who apply. Other support includes written, phone or online applications available to reach as many people as possible, the energy supplier has said, reports Coventry Live.

Additionally, Octopus is offering free benefit and pension credit checks to ensure customers are not missing out on extra cash. As much as £1.7bn in pension credit could be currently going unclaimed, the energy giant - which competes with British Gas, EDF, EON, Ovo and more - has revealed, reports Birmingham Live.

Octopus Energy has made a call to action, "Worried about an elderly relative? Flag them up for a friendly phone call and instant support from dedicated Octopus specialists, if they are an Octopus customer."

In the meantime, Greg Jackson, CEO of the energy giant, stated, "At times like this, we can't expect the government to do everything - companies need to work hard on affordability too."

He added, "That's why we've expanded our Octo Assist fund to introduce extra support for the pensioners who need it most. There's a lot of government and other support for pensioners but many don't realise it - government data shows one in three pensioners eligible for pension credits are not claiming, so we're training our team to help with this too."

Touting their commitment to exceptional service and innovation, Octopus Energy provides for 8 million homes around the world, with business stretching across 18 countries throughout the entire energy supply chain.

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