The Winter Fuel Payment and Warm Home Discount

The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual payment to help you with heating costs during the colder months. The Government announced in July 2024 that, from this year onwards, to be eligible you must have reached State Pension age and also receive a qualifying means-tested benefit.

When the weather is especially cold for a sustained period, you may also be eligible for a Cold Weather Payment.

There is also a Warm Home Discount scheme – an annual payment to help with the cost of energy during the winter. It's designed to make things a bit easier for those living on a low income or pension.

You may also wish to view our information on help with the cost of living.

The Winter Fuel Payment

What is a Winter Fuel Payment?

Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) is an annual tax-free payment for households that include someone born on or before 22 September 1958 (for the financial year 2024-25) plus – from 2024 onwards – the older person will also need to be receiving one of the following means-tested benefits:

• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance.

WFP is designed to help you cover your heating costs in winter.

How much Winter Fuel Payment could I get?

If you are over State Pension age and receive a qualifying benefit, you could get £200 towards your bills. If you are over 80, you could get £300 to help with your bills in winter this year.

Payments are made to the person claiming the benefit and are for the household.

Am I eligible for Winter Fuel Payment?

If you were born on or before 22 September 1958 and receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance, you're likely to qualify for the WFP in the winter of 2024-25, as long as you were living in Great Britain during the qualifying week (this is the week beginning from the 3rd Monday in September – 16 to 22 September 2024). 

You're not entitled to Winter Fuel Payment if you live in a care home or nursing home during the period 24 June to 22 September 2024.

How to claim Winter Fuel Payment

If you or your partner claims Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance, the payment should go to the main claimant of the benefit automatically. 

If you have never received a Winter Fuel Payment before or you claim Universal Credit, you might need to make a claim.

You should receive your payment between mid-November and Christmas. Call the Winter Fuel Payment helpline on 0800 731 0160 if you have any enquiries, or you do not receive your payment.

The Warm Home Discount Scheme

The Warm Home Discount is a one-off payment of £150 to help with the cost of energy during the winter. It's designed to make things a bit easier if you're living on a low income or pension.

Getting a Warm Home Discount doesn't affect your entitlement to a Winter Fuel Payment or Cold Weather Payment.

If your electricity supplier is part of the Warm Home Discount scheme then you don't need to apply for it – you'll get the payment automatically if you or your partner receive the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit, or another qualifying benefit, and have high energy costs.

The money won't be paid to you directly – it'll be added as credit to your electricity account. This usually happens between October and March (you might be able to get the discount applied to your gas bill if you're a dual-fuel customer – i.e. you have a combined plan for gas and electricity with the same supplier).

If you use a prepayment meter, you'll probably be given a top-up voucher.

Some suppliers also offer indirect help to customers as part of the Warm Home Discount scheme. This might include advice on using less energy and help with reducing energy-related debts.

Am I eligible for the Warm Home Discount?

To qualify for the Warm Home Discount, you or your partner must have an account with a participating electricity supplier and one of you must claim one of the following:

• the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit
• a different 'qualifying benefit' (if you have high energy costs).

The qualifying benefits include the Savings Credit portion of Pension Credit, Universal Credit and Housing Benefit.

If you claim a qualifying benefit, the government will assess your energy costs based on the type, age and size of your property. This happens on a specific date, known as the 'qualifying date'. For 2023-24, this was 13 August 2023.

Check if you're eligible for the Warm Home Discount on GOV.UK

You might not be eligible for the Warm Home Discount if you live in a more energy-efficient property, even if you receive a qualifying benefit (though this doesn't apply to recipients of the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit). 

If you think the energy costs assessment is inaccurate, you can challenge it by getting in touch with the Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 030 9322.

How to claim the Warm Home Discount

Most eligible households will receive the Warm Home Discount automatically.

If you're eligible, you'll receive a letter between November and January telling you about the discount. Then, your electricity supplier will automatically apply the discount to your bill by the end of March. 

This is different from previous years when you had to claim the money from your supplier if you weren't claiming the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit.

If you haven't received a letter by mid-January and you think you're eligible, then you can contact the Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 030 9322.

The deadline for this winter will be announced later in the year.