Politics · United Kingdom · 10 hrs ago
Pensioners urged to check eligibility for £150 energy bill discount
People on low incomes are being urged to check what support they can claim as energy costs rise in colder months.
The Warm Home Discount is a one-off £150 reduction on an electricity bill for people who meet the scheme’s rules.
Claiming an eligible means-tested benefit is required for the discount, and Pension Credit can help people of state pension age qualify.
Pension Credit tops up income and can also open access to help with cold-weather costs, medical bills and a free TV licence for people aged 75 or over.
Many eligible people are not claiming support: an expert cited estimates of 900,000 people missing out on Pension Credit and 2.3 million on Universal Credit.
People can use a free online benefits calculator to check what they may qualify for.
Pensioners and other people on low incomes are being urged to check whether they qualify for support with energy bills.
The Warm Home Discount is a one-off £150 discount applied to an electricity bill, or a dual-fuel bill.
Eligibility requires people to be claiming qualifying means-tested benefits.
Abigail Everett of Policy in Practice said many people miss out on benefits they are eligible for.
Pension Credit can provide access to the Warm Home Discount and other support.
- Who
- Pensioners and other people on low incomes.
- What
- They are being urged to check whether they qualify for the £150 Warm Home Discount and other support.
- When
- Not stated
- Where
- The discount is applied to an electricity bill, or a dual-fuel bill.
- Why
- Many people miss out on support they are eligible for, which can help with higher energy bills.
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- Warm Home Discount
- One-off £150 discount
- Pension Credit non-claimants
- Around 900,000 eligible people
- Universal Credit non-claimants
- About 2.3 million eligible people
- Unclaimed support
- £24 billion worth each year
- Pension Credit weekly income top-up
- Up to £238 for single claimants and £363.25 for claimants with a partner
What people are saying
It does require people to be claiming eligible means-tested benefits. We know that there are around 900,000 people who don't claim the Pension Credit that they're eligible for, and about 2.3 million people who don't claim Universal Credit that they're eligible for.
There is a huge amount of support that is unclaimed. We know there's £24billion worth of support that goes unclaimed every year.
We would really urge people to use a free benefits calculator to identify if they're claiming everything that they are eligible for. And don't assume that you're not eligible just because you're not claiming currently.