THOUSANDS of households should be aware of winter energy bill support worth £5,710 which will be available to claim in weeks.
It comes as many families are concerned about their finances ahead of the colder months after Chancellor Rachel Reeves made changes to the Winter Fuel Payment.
Now only those on Pension Credit, or other means-tested benefits, will qualify for the £300 energy bill help starting this year.
The controversial decision, which has left some 10million homes without the cash boost, is set to be voted on in Parliament tomorrow, September 10.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to face backlash from his peers, with 50 Labour MPs reportedly gearing up to vote against the move, The Guardian said.
A number of charities have also urged officials to do a U-turn on the decision.
Age UK previously said: “Means-testing the Winter Fuel Payment, with no notice and no compensatory measures to protect poor and vulnerable pensioners, is the wrong policy choice, and one that will potentially jeopardise the health as well as the finances of millions of older people this winter.”
However, the freshly appointed PM has doubled down on the decision, telling the BBC over the weekend the Government was “going to have to be unpopular”.
Labour has maintained the cuts are necessary to help improve the country’s finances.
If you fear you may struggle to afford your energy costs this winter you should note some of the other financial help available.
The Sun has rounded up all the energy bill help worth £5,710 that you could be eligible to claim.
The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a one-off £150 discount on your electricity bill.
If you’re eligible, your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill. The money is not paid to you.
Applications for the scheme open in October, however, you may not get the help until next March.
To qualify you’ll usually need to be actively claiming one of a number of means-tested benefits during the qualifying week – which is usually in August.
However, if you later launch a successful claim for backdated benefits, you may still be able to qualify after this date and once it’s confirmed.
If you qualify for the WHD, you should receive a letter telling you. These are usually sent between October and January.
By Ryan Sabey
MINISTERS risked a major backlash as a “routine” £400 planned rise in the state pension doesn’t make up for the winter fuel allowance axe.
Treasury internal analysis reveals they expect the benefit to go up by average earnings which will kick in next April for millions of elderly Brits.
The measure means the overall increase in incomes for OAPs is likely to be £100 or £200.
Tory leader Rishi Sunak used a heated Prime Minister’s Questions to question why Sir Keir Starmer decided to give train drivers a pay hike – while cutting the benefit.
He said: “The government doesn’t have to choose to take money off low-paid pensioners and give it to highly paid train drivers. He can’t justify it.
“Government is about making choices, and the new Prime Minister has made a choice.
“(He) has chosen to take the winter fuel allowance away from low-income pensioners and give that money to certain unionised workforces in inflation-busting pay rises.
“So can I just ask the Prime Minister, why did he choose train drivers over Britain’s vulnerable pensioners?”
The PM said: “This Government was elected to clear up the mess left by the party opposite, to bring about the change that the country desperately needs. Our first job was to audit the books, and what we found was a £22 billion black hole.”
The criticism comes as Labour MP Rachael Maskell has suggested she can’t vote with the government to end the universal winter fuel cash.
She told the BBC: “I couldn’t vote for this, but I think what we are saying, this is bigger than a vote because this is about protecting people’s lives and ultimately that is our responsibility as MPs, to speak to truth to power.
“That is all we are doing is to say actually there are some people in danger here, that are at risk, and we need the Government to step in like Gordon Brown did when he introduced the winter fuel payment.”
Struggling households can apply for support via the Household Support Fund (HSF).
The scheme, which is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, was first launched in 2021.
It was extended for the sixth time earlier this month, giving thousands of families a chance to get the extra support.
The current round of funding is due to end on September 30, but applications may still be accepted by some local authorities.
Each area will then open up the scheme again in October, with the new funding in place until April 2025.
In many areas, applications can be made under both the current scheme and future rounds.
However, what you’re able to access depends on whereabouts you live, and the money will either be given to you as a direct cash transfer, shopping vouchers or in another form.
To find out what you may be eligible for, visit your local council’s website.
If you’re unsure of the name of your council, find out using the Government’s council locator tool.
Funding is given to local councils to distribute, so the amount handed out varies across the country.
But in the past, some families have had up to £500 help.
Many of the UK’s biggest energy suppliers have grants in place to help support struggling customers.
But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
The country’s biggest supplier British Gas previously had an energy grant scheme in place, with the hardest-pressed households receiving a grant of up to £2,000.
The firm also has also launched a debt reduction scheme called ‘You Pay: We Pay’.
Struggling customers will also be able to get part of their debts wiped via what’s known as debt matching.
For instance, if a customer pays £100, British Gas will pay off £100, too, effectively wiping half the amount owed and getting them back on track sooner.
The £15million “You Pay: We Pay” scheme opened in June and eligible customers have been contacted directly.
Elsewhere, fellow supplier EDF has a customer support fund which on average wipes £1,250 off customers’ bills.
It is available to vulnerable customers experiencing hardship.
To apply you must visit EDF’s website and make sure you have details of your account number (find it on your energy bills or EDF emails) and the current debt balance on all EDF accounts you have.
Check directly with your supplier to see what help is available.
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
Octopus Energy is handing out freebies such as electric blankets as part of its Octo Assist fund.
Analysis by the firm shows that customers with electric blankets saw a 20% fall in their gas bill, while only increasing their electricity usage by 0.2% – adding up to an average saving of £150 across winter.
The energy firm, which serves six million customers, is also loaning thousands of thermal imaging cameras to customers so that they can find spots in their homes where heat was escaping.
Once those draughts are identified, people can then look into ways to get them fixed and thus reduce their energy usage.
Low-income households may qualify for major discounts on installing boilers or insulating their homes.
For example, the Energy Company Obligation, set up by the Government, lets households on certain benefits apply to have energy-saving measures installed in their homes.
It might mean cavity wall or loft insulation, or maybe even a new boiler fitted, sometimes for free.
To qualify you usually need to be on one of the following benefits
Households’ needs are assessed on a case-by-case basis, so there’s no guarantee you’ll get help, but it is worth looking into.
You can get temporary credit from your supplier, but you will have to pay this back.
In many cases, suppliers offer around £10 to £20 if you run out and can’t top up straight away to ensure that you don’t go without heat or lights.
Beware that when you do top-up, this amount will be deducted.
You may also be able to get a fuel voucher through a little-known scheme.
This is a code given to you in a letter, text message or email which you can use to add credit to your gas card or electricity key.
Exactly how much it is can vary, but in many cases, it’s £49, and you won’t have to pay it back.
If you get a fuel voucher, don’t forget that when you top up, come off the credit will go towards paying off any debt, for example, emergency credit.
If you haven’t topped up for a period of time, you may also owe standing charges, a daily flat fee for energy use that is separate from your usage.
Contact your local council, food bank or Citizens Advice to find out more.
This benefit gives you extra money to help with your living costs if you’re over the state pension age and on a low income.
Pension Credit can also help with housing costs such as ground rent or service charges.
This is a separate to your state pension and you can qualify for the scheme even if you have other income, savings or own your own home.
The support also opens up eligibility for social tariffs, the Warm Home Discount, cheaper broadband, free TV licenses, lower water bills and the Winter Fuel Payment.
When applying, you must flag if you are single or living with a partner.
You’ll be eligible if either:
Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15 if you are single or to £332.95 if you have a partner.
You could get an extra £81.50 a week if you have a disability or claim any of the following:
You can apply for Pension Credit online, over the phone or by post.
You can start your application up to 4 months before you reach State Pension age.
You can apply any time after you reach State Pension age but your application can only be backdated by 3 months.
This means you can get up to 3 months of Pension Credit in your first payment if you were eligible during that time.
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