MILLIONS are eligible for money off their energy bills through the Warm Home Discount scheme.
The scheme is available to those on the lowest incomes to help with rising costs.
Households can get £150 off their electricity bill between October and March 2024.
Households in England and Wales don't need to apply to get the cash and they'll automatically qualify if they are receiving certain benefits.
In Scotland, some customers will need to apply for cash.
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Energy suppliers will automatically dish out the payment, worth £150 this year, as long as you were receiving certain benefits on August 13.
However, if you later launch a successful claim for backdated benefits, you may still be able to qualify after this date.
Between now and December, the government will issue letters to households that qualify for the scheme.
And payments for the £150 discount will likely begin later on in October.
It's up to individual energy companies to decide when they will give their customers the discount.
Here we explain what the scheme is, who's eligible and how to apply.
How do I qualify for the payment?
The Warm Home Discount is an automatic £150 discount off their energy bills.
To qualify, you need to claim either the guaranteed credit element of Pension Credit or a different qualifying means-tested benefit, including:
- Income support
- Income based jobseeker's allowance
- Income related employment and support allowance
- Housing benefit
- Universal Credit
- Child tax credit
- Working tax credits
- Pension Credit savings credit
If you aren't claiming any of the above benefits on August 13 you won't be eligible for the payment.
Where someone claims a qualifying benefit, the government will assess their energy costs based on the type, age and size of property.
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You may not be considered eligible for the Warm Home Discount if you live in a more energy-efficient property for instance, even if you receive a qualifying benefit.
This rule doesn't apply to recipients of the guarantee credit portion of Pension Credit.
Around 850,000 pensioners are eligible for Pension Credit but not claiming it.
As well as missing out on potentially hundreds or even thousands of pounds a year from the benefit itself, they won't get the £150 Warm Home Discount payment.
However even if you weren't receiving Pension Credit on the qualifying date on August 13, there's a trick you can follow to later ensure that you get the extra cash.
This is because your eligibility for certain benefits can be backdated.
For example, successful Pension Credit claims can be backdated by three months.
So if you make a claim now you could be in the qualifying period for the Warm Home Discount - but you'll need to do so by Friday, October 13.
The government will then issue a letter to your household to tell you if you later qualify for the scheme.
Who has to apply in Scotland?
The Scottish Government has refused to renew their Warm Home Discount scheme in-line with England and Wales' new application-free scheme.
Households in Scotland will have to follow the rules set out in the legacy scheme.
This means there's a "core group" that'll receive an automatic payment and a "broader group" which has to apply for the scheme with their energy provider.
You'll need to check with your energy supplier directly to see the eligibility requirements and details on how to apply.