Certain UK householdswill automatically get the Winter Fuel Payment worth up to £300 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) this winter.
State pensioners set to be handed three winter payments worth £475
State pensioners have been told to complete a benefit check for £475. Certain UK households will automatically get the Winter Fuel Payment worth up to £300 from the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) this winter.
The Warm Home Discount also helps struggling households and is worth £150 which is deducted from bills. The Cold Weather Payment is worth another £25 and kicks in each time temperatures dip over a seven-day stretch.
You can use a benefits calculator to help check for money you are entitled to, and make sure you don’t miss out on the extra help for bills. And ahead of the energy price cap rising in October, households can apply for free energy grants worth up to £1,700.
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The British Gas Individual and Families Fund is open to prepayment meter customers who are between £50 and £1,700 in energy debt – and you don’t necessarily need to be a British Gas customer.
Jessica Taplin, chief executive officer of the British Gas Energy Trust, which runs the fund, said: “Unlike customers who pay by direct debit, those on prepayment meters often see their debts taken immediately from any credit they add.
“That means they can run out of energy more quickly, and risk slipping into a cycle of debt that’s much harder to escape.”
Meanwhile, E.ON has relaunched its ‘refer a friend’ scheme, handing out £50 in retail vouchers for customers and their friend, if there is a successful referral.
Struggling households could be eligible for cash or vouchers through the Household Support Fund from the DWP, too.
Reisdents and households in Bromsgrove and Redditch in Worcestershire, for instance, can currently apply for support worth up to £350.
And urging customers to change supplier if they are hard up, Richard Neudegg, director of regulation at comparison site Uswitch.com, says: “Bill payers on a standard variable tariff can beat these expected rises and save on bills by switching to a well-priced fixed deal now.
“We are seeing the strongest savings in three months, around £298 for the average household.”