Thousands of households across the UK will start getting an extra £150 in winter support from October.
Eligible pensioners and low-income households will get the Warm Home Discount which takes money off their energy bills throughout the winter period. A one-off discount should be applied to electricity bills between October and March 2024, the exact same format as last year.
There are a couple of different ways to qualify for the scheme which could be a major help as other forms of government support towards energy bills will not be available this winter. In order to receive the discount, you must either get the Guaranteed Credit element of Pension Credit or be on a low income with high energy costs, MEN reports.
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Guaranteed Credit element of Pension Credit
If you receive the Guaranteed Credit element of Pension Credit, you energy supplier should be part of the Warm Home Discount Scheme. As full details are not yet released about this year's scheme, it may be likely that they haven't announced their involvement yet.
Furthermore, your or your partner's name must be featured on the energy bill while being part of the 'core group 1'. You should receive a letter sometime after November telling you if you are eligible for the discount – in most cases, the discount will be applied automatically so there is no need to apply.
You may be eligible for the Warm Home Discount even if you don't receive the Guaranteed Credit element of Pension Credit. You may be eligible this year if the following apply:
- Your energy supplier is part of the scheme
- You (or your partner) get certain means-tested benefits or tax credits
- Your property has a high energy cost score based on its characteristics
- Your name (or your partner’s) is on the bill
Among the means-tested benefits that qualify for the discount include:
- Housing Benefit
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income Support
- the ‘Savings Credit’ part of Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
You should receive a letter sometime after November informing you of whether or not you're eligible for the discount.
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