UK households handed free automatic £150 payment to 'help them through winter'

Warm Home Discount eligibility and criteria has been revealed by the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) with all the biggest firms - from British Gas and OVO to EDF and E On - included.

UK households are set to be handed a free £150 winter payment to get them through the winter. Warm Home Discount eligibility and criteria has been revealed by the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) with all the biggest firms - from British Gas and OVO to EDF and E On - included.

The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a one-off £150 discount off your electricity bill. If you’re eligible your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill. The money is not paid to you. The £150 is typically deducted from your electricity bill, but you may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead, as long as your supplier provides both your gas and electricity.

You'll need to contact your supplier to find out if the discount can be applied to your gas bill instead. After a shake-up of the Warm Home Discount scheme in 2022, households in England and Wales who are eligible should get the discount automatically – previously, some had to apply

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If you're in England or Wales, you should get it automatically if you get the 'guarantee element' of Pension Credit. If you or your partner were receiving guarantee credit on 11 August 2024, and your name (or your partner's) is on your energy bill, you should qualify for the discount as part of what's known as 'core group 1'.

You will also get it if you are on certain benefits AND have "high energy costs". If you receive certain means-tested benefits, such as Income Support or Universal Credit, you may qualify for the discount as part of what's known as 'core group 2'.

You must have been receiving the qualifying benefit on 11 August 2024. In Scotland, many households need to apply to get the £150 Warm Home Discount. Payments are made on a first-come, first-served basis, with a limited pot of cash to give out.