Overview

• Warm Home Discount credits of £150 are being applied automatically to eligible electricity accounts from October, with first-time inclusion of all Universal Credit claimants and around six million households expected to benefit.
• The DWP warns that calls asking people to apply for the £150 discount are scams and urges reporting suspicious contact to Action Fraud; most recipients do not need to take any action.
• Winter Fuel Payment letters are going out in October and November, with £100–£300 due to most pensioners in November–December based on the qualifying week of 15–21 September 2025.
• HMRC will recover Winter Fuel Payments from people with taxable income over £35,000 through tax-code changes or Self Assessment, and an opt-out route is available for those who do not wish to receive the payment.
• Cold Weather Payments of £25 per seven-day cold spell run from 1 November to 31 March in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while Scotland operates separate Winter Heating Payments; some care-home residents are not eligible for Winter Fuel Payments under specific benefit and residency rules.