The British government announced earlier this year that pensioner households will receive an additional £300 cost of living payment this winter as part of a package of measures intended to help them tackle soaring energy bills.
The policy was announced by former chancellor turned Tory leadership candidate Rishi Sunak along with others including a move to knock £400 off household utility bills, a £650 one-off payment for around eight million households on means-tested benefits and a £150 one-off payment for around six million people across the UK who receive certain disability benefits.
Mr Sunak has promised further handouts should he be chosen to succeed Boris Johnson as leader but front-runner Liz Truss may have other ideas, although the present chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, has reportedly told Treasury officials to prepare to issue further cheques now that Ofgem’s energy price cap is expected to rise in both October and again in the next two quarters, initially to £3,600 and then to £4,200 and then to a whopping £5,300.
It is therefore becoming increasingly clear that further action will be needed to prevent a miserable winter for millions of households as inflation at a 40-year-high of 10.1 per cent sends the price of consumer goods and fuel rocketing while wages stagnate.
Former prime minister Gordon Brown’s calls for an emergency intervention have so far gone unanswered and his successor as Labour Party leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has laid out his own vision to rein in the crisis but, so far, nothing more has been forthcoming from a rudderless Conservative government, which will not have a new leader in place until 6 September.
How will the £300 discount be paid?
An estimated eight million pensioner households will receive their money automatically when it is added to their Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) in November or December this year.
There is no need to apply for it and all people need to qualify is to be over the state pension age of 66 in the qualifying week of 19 to 25 September 2022 and to be in receipt of the WFP.
Given that the latter grant typically amounts to between £200 and £300 to cover domestic energy costs, the aid package is effectively a doubling of the money already made available annually.
It will be paid per claim, so a couple living together would only be entitled to one payment.
The only conditions under which someone aged 66 or over might not qualify can be found here, along with other pertinent information on the WFP.
Will I need to give out my bank details at any point?
No. The government says no household should be asked for bank details at any point.
That said, it is important to bear in mind that scammers might regard the payment as an opportunity to strike – just as they did when financial support was announced early on in the coronavirus pandemic, which prompted a slew of fake rebate emails and texts purporting to be from official bodies.
Vulnerable older people may well be viewed as possible targets by fraudsters so it is important to stay vigilant and report any potential scammers to the authorities.
Scam texts, for example, can be reported to 7726 and Ofcom has information on how to do that here.
Will I need to pay the money back?
No, it is non-repayable.
People who are struggling with their energy bills should contact their supplier. Ofgem rules mean suppliers must offer payment plans people can afford and customers can ask for “emergency credit” if they use a prepayment meter and cannot top up.
You can find out more information about this and the schemes, grants and benefits available here.
