Time is running out for pensioners to secure their £150 Warm Home Discount this winter.
The Department of Work and Pensions is urging people to check that older members of their family are not among the 850,000 the department reckons could claim the extra cash to help with their heating bills.
The money is paid automatically to eligible pensioners on the lowest incomes, but they have to be in receipt of certain benefits, including pension credit. The one-off payment, which is paid via your energy company, is paid to everyone receiving pension credit on or before Sunday, August 21 this year.
Read more: What is the DWP's Winter Fuel payment and who will get it?
However, if you claim for pension credit now and are successful, the claim can be backdated for up to three months, so you could still make it into the qualifying period if you act soon. The latest you can make a claim to be in with a chance is Friday, November 18.
This is because pension credit rules all allow first-time claimants to backdate their benefit entitlement by three months, so if you claim by November 18 and are successful, it will be backdated to cover the August 21 Warm Home Discount qualifying date.
The DWP will open a Warm Home Discount hotline later this month to let households confirm or query their eligibility. The scheme, which is entirely separate from the Cold Weather Payment and the Winter Fuel Payment, opens on November 14, and those eligible should receive a letter between November 2022 and January 2023 telling you about the discount. Most eligible households will receive the discount automatically, but your letter will say whether you need to call a helpline by February 28 2023 to confirm your details.
If you’re eligible, your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill by 31 March 2023.
What is pension credit?
If you state retirement age and on a low income, pension credit can top up your weekly income to £182.60 if you’re single or £278.70 if you have a partner. These payments can add an extra £3,300 to an average pensioner's annual income. You may get extra amounts if you have other responsibilities and costs, such as a severe disability or if you care for another adult.
You can start your application up to 4 months before you reach state pension age, either by using the government website or by ringing the pension credit claim line on 0800 99 1234.
You’ll need the following information about you and your partner if you have one:
- National Insurance number
- Information about any income, savings and investments you have
- Information about your income, savings and investments on the date you want to backdate your application to (usually 3 months ago or the date you reached State Pension age).
According to the DWP, over 850,000 pensioners are missing out on £1.7billion worth of pension credit payments.
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