THOUSANDS of households have just days left to qualify for £150 off their energy bill this winter.
The Warm Home Discount scheme is available every year to those on the lowest incomes struggling with the cost of heating their home.
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In previous years you could apply to your energy supplier for the bill discount if they offered it.
But a change to the scheme means it’s now automatic.
You can’t apply directly, but you can qualify if you are getting certain benefits.
Utilita customers will need to be claiming one of the qualifying benefits by the end of the month to get the £150 discount.
The energy firm has said its customers will only qualify for the scheme if they meet the eligibility criteria as of Sunday, July 31.
For Utilita customers to be eligible for the discount, they’ll need to be actively claiming at least one of the following benefits by this date:
If you meet the eligibility criteria on this date you’ll be in line to for a £150 off your energy bills between October and March 2023.
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Utilita will spread the £150 discount evenly across the period – automatically discounting your bill.
Millions of people are missing out on £13 billion of unclaimed benefits, experts say.
That means people could be missing out on the cash – as well as the £150 from the Warm Home Discount
Over a million people alone are entitled to Universal Credit – but aren’t claiming it.
We’ve contacted the other energy firms to ask if they’ve set a deadline to qualify, for and we’ll update this article once they’ve made their positions clear.
It’s worth checking sooner rather than later so you don’t miss out on the cash, and before July 31 if you’re with Utilita.
Consumer group MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools that let check whether you qualify for certain benefits.
You will also find benefit calculators from Turn2Us and Policy in Practice.
Any calculator you use will give you an idea of what you could get, but you’ll then have to make a claim for the benefit itself and it could take a few weeks to process so now is the time to be proactive.
A spokesperson for Utilita said: “Our customers are used to getting this information early – hence we’re giving customers a heads up now.”
“Historically we’ve generally informed our customers about the Warm Home Discount as soon as possible – and often ahead of other suppliers.”
What is the Warm Home Discount scheme?
The Warm Home Discount was originally set up to help customers of the largest energy firms (those with 150,000 customers or more) on benefits get an annual winter discount of off their bills.
Those that were eligible used to get £140 but from this winter the discount is being upped by £10 to £150.
Those on guaranteed pension credit automatically received the discount from their energy firm and these individuals made up the “core group”.
People on other benefits formed part of the “broader group” and had to apply directly with their energy firm to receive the discount.
The allocation of the “broader group” discount was also done on a first come first serve basis and energy firms had a set limit on the number of people who could participate.
However, the scheme has been adapted and energy firms no longer have a say over the eligibility criteria and there’s no longer a set limit on who’ll receive the discount.
Eligibility criteria is now set by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Households eligible in this years scheme also won’t need to apply, irrespective of what benefits they receive.
How do you qualify for the scheme now?
The DWP now decides which households in England and Wales are eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount.
The new “core group 1” was called “core group” in previous years. The eligibility criteria remains exactly the same this year – you’ll need to be receiving the guaranteed element of pension credit.
The new “core group 2” replaces the “broader group” from previous scheme years.
To qualify for the Warm Home Discount payment, you’ll need to receive one of the following benefits on a specific date as set by your energy firm:
How do I secure the discount?
If you’re in receipt of the benefits listed above, under the new scheme you won’t have to apply.
You’ll receive the rebate automatically and your energy firm will discount it from your bill.
You’ll receive a letter in October notifying you that’ll you’ll be eligible for the discount.
If you’re unsure if you’re eligible or if your letter tells you to speak to the DWP you can call a their helpline which’ll be published online at a later date.
The Scottish Government is still flip-flopping over whether to renew their Warm Home Discount scheme in-line with England and Wales’ new application-free scheme.
At the moment, it’s expected that households in Scotland will have to follow the rules set out in the legacy scheme.
This means they’ll likely still be a “core group” who’ll receive an automatic payment and a “broader group” who’ll have to apply for the scheme with their energy provider.
Will other help be available?
Energy suppliers are also offering cash grants to those hardest hit by bill rises.
For instance British Gas is giving out up to £750 through its hardship fund.
But the amount can vary according to your supplier and your circumstances.
Ask your supplier what’s on offer and how to apply, or check here:
Cold weather payments up £25 a day are also on offer when temperatures plummet below zero for households on low incomes.
The payment is made automatically, including to those on Universal Credit, for each seven day period of low temperatures between November 1 and March 31.
Anyone getting the state pension should also get winter fuel payments worth £100s. Winter fuel payments are a tax-free payment that comes from the government each year and is worth between £100 and £300.
