The Government has confirmed details of the £150 Warm Home Discount scheme, which will support six million households with their energy bills this winter. The announcement follows confirmation that energy bills will rise by an average of 4% from October, adding further pressure on hard-up families.
Energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh outlined the scheme during an interview with the BBC, explaining that the annual initiative provides money off energy bills for low-income households. This year, rule changes mean more people qualify for the £150 boost than in previous years.
Who qualifies for the £150 payment
Everyone on Universal Credit now qualifies for the discount, along with those receiving other benefits such as Housing Benefit and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Some of the poorest pensioners, specifically those on the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit, will also receive the help.
The £150 discount is applied either as energy credit or top-up vouchers, depending on how customers pay their bills. The scheme opens each October, and it is up to energy suppliers to decide when to apply the discount, with most households receiving it between November and January.
Pressure for more targeted support
Ms Fahnbulleh suggested that the worst-off households could receive more "targeted" support in the future. She said: "We've got the Warm Home Discount. That is a £150 discount that goes to families who are under the most amount of pressure. So six million families will get that this winter."
She added: "But we are looking at what targeted support looks like for households that are under pressure. Energy is unaffordable for all households and we know that. And so we've got to take action that drives down bills for everyone."
Government under pressure to act
The Government is facing increasing pressure to do more to help the poorest families, with the latest energy price rise set to take effect in October. The Warm Home Discount is part of a wider package of support, which also includes £515 payments for state pensioners born before 1960, as announced by Andy Burnham and John Healey.
The scheme is expected to provide crucial relief to millions of households in the run-up to Christmas, with the discount applied automatically for those who qualify. Households are advised to check their eligibility and contact their energy supplier for further details on when the discount will be applied.
