£140 winter energy bill discount for some pensioners

Eligible Pension Credit customers who qualify for the discount were identified after the Department for Work and Pensions cross-checked its records with energy suppliers.

Customer data was matched with records from more than 50 participating suppliers, so that 95% of pensioners who will get the discount will receive it without having to lift a finger – savings totalling £137 million.

The deduction, called the Warm Home Discount Scheme, will be taken automatically from energy bills before March 2021, with most pensioners receiving their discounts between now and January.

A further 220,000 pensioners who meet part of the eligibility criteria but are not yet benefiting will receive a letter encouraging them to claim via a dedicated helpline.

As the Warm Home Discount Scheme is linked to Pension Credit the government is encouraging pensions to check their eligibility by visiting the Pension Credit section on GOV UK. It only takes a few minutes to get an indication of how much they could get using the online Pension Credit calculator, and a claim can be made online or by calling the free claim line on 0800 99 1234.