State pensioners told not to apply for £150 Warm Home Discount | Personal Finance | Finance
State pensioners across the UK are being told not to apply for a £150 discount off their energy bills this winter.
The discount comes as part of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s (DESNZ) Warm Home Discount Scheme which will reopen in October. The scheme provides those who are eligible with £150 off their electricity bill, with the discount applied to bills automatically by suppliers rather than being paid into your bank account. Ahead of the scheme reopening next month, the DESNZ is urging eligible households not to apply for the scheme and not to look out for texts or emails, as those who qualify will be contacted automatically via a letter.
The DESNZ will send out letters to all who are eligible between October and December confirming the £150 discount. Households will not be contacted by any other means so if you receive a text or email asking you to share your bank details, or click on a link, this is a scam.
A spokesperson for the DESNZ told The Express: Remember – there is no need to apply for the scheme in England or Wales.
“If you are in Scotland and in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, you do not need to apply for the Warm Home Discount. If you are in Scotland and on any other qualifying means tested benefits, or otherwise meeting criteria set by your energy supplier, you do still need to apply to their energy supplier for the Warm Home Discount.
“You will not be contacted by the government or Ofgem asking you to share your bank details to benefit. Do not look out for texts. If you are eligible, you should look out for a letter between October and December confirming you will get £150 off your electricity bill. Do not click on links provided in suspicious texts or emails.
“Physical letters will be sent by Warm Home Discount Scheme, PO Box 970, PRESTON, PR2 0FX. Individuals are advised not to click on links provided in suspicious texts or emails.”
An extra 2.7 million households will be eligible for the discount this winter, with more than six million in total set to benefit. The DESNZ said a small number of households may receive a letter telling them to call the Warm Home Discount helpline to confirm their eligibility as energy suppliers in Scotland may set additional criteria, subject to approval by scheme administrator Ofgem.
Eligible households across Great Britain are advised to wait to receive a letter confirming their discount, which will start to be sent from mid-October but can be received up to December.
Those who haven’t received a letter by January, or got the discount in their energy account, should call the Warm Home Discount helpline.
If you receive a text or email about the Warm Home Discount scheme do not click on any links and report the message to the government.
A spokesperson for DESNZ added: “Suspicious text messages should be forwarded to the number 7726 which is free of charge. If you are suspicious about an email you have received, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk. If you receive a call you believe to be fraudulent, hang up.
“If you believe you have been the victim of fraud or identity theft, you should report this directly to Action Fraud either online; actionfraud.police.uk or via phone 0300 123 2040.”
