Overview

• The DWP says it will not text or email to request bank details for the Winter Fuel Payment, urging people to forward suspicious messages to 7726 and to report crimes to Action Fraud.
• Fraudsters are sending convincing texts and emails claiming to be from the DWP or bogus bodies such as a 'Department of Pensions' or 'Department of Energy' and pushing fake registration deadlines that link to phishing sites.
• This year’s Winter Fuel Payment has been restored for about nine million pensioner households, typically £200 per household or £300 where someone is over 80, with letters due before most automatic payments in November and December.
• HMRC will reclaim payments from households with taxable incomes above £35,000, often via PAYE or Self Assessment, which may cause confusion when funds first appear in bank accounts.
• The £150 Warm Home Discount will be applied automatically by suppliers between October and March for eligible households, and the DWP warns that calls asking people to apply are scams.