State pensioners handed £475 payments as energy bills rocket this winter

State pensioners handed £475 payments as energy bills rocket this winter Eligible pensioners are being handed a cash boost this winter. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By Claire Schofield 06:02, Sun, Oct 25, 2026 Eligible state pensioners can get help with energy bills this winter via three government schemes (Image: Getty) State pensioners across the UK are being handed up to £475 worth of payments as energy bills rocket this winter. A 4% hike to Ofgem’s energy price cap took effect this month and early forecasts suggest household bills could soar even higher from January by almost another £300. The bill for the average households in England, Scotland and Wales paying by direct debit for gas and electricity reached £1,723 as the 4% increase took effect on October 1, up £60 per year if this level was sustained over 12 months. The increase affected more than four million homes who remain on standard energy tariffs, with the hike being driven by ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT But analysts Cornwall Insight is predicting a further 16% hike to the price cap from January 1 to £1,999, up by £276 on the level between October and December, which would be the biggest rise since January 2023. The Government has temporarily removed the 5% VAT from electricity bills until March 31, 2027, to help households, cutting bills by around £45 per year, but for some state pensioners, it’s possible to get additional help . Get personal finance news, money saving tips and advice plus selcted offers and competitions I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family . Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . Automatic £200 payments confirmed for state pensioners under 80 DWP sending letters to state pensioners in 7 UK areas for £1,031 boost The extra support comes from several government winter schemes: the Winter Fuel Payment , the Warm Home Discount Scheme and Cold Weather Payments. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT The DWP is issuing letters to eligible state pensioners from this month to confirm Winter Fuel Payment amounts, with payments then due to rollout in November and December. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Separately, the Warm Home Discount Scheme reopens from October and can provide pensioners in receipt of Pension Credit a £150 discount off their electricity bill, which will be applied by their energy supplier by March 31, 2027. As for Cold Weather Payments, this scheme will reopen on November 1 and will be available throughout the winter until March 31, 2027, providing homes with £25 in bouts of very cold weather. Of course, as is the case with all government schemes, state pensioners will need to meet strict eligibility criteria to qualify for the support, but with three winter payments up for grabs, those eligible for all of them could get up to £475. Listed are the three payments available to state pensioners to help with energy bills this winter and how much you could get. Winter Fuel Payment – up to £300 State pensioners who were born on or before June 27, 1960, and live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland can get a Winter Fuel Payment from the DWP. The payment is worth between £100 and £300, but the amount you get is determined by your age and your individual circumstances during the qualifying week between September 21 to 27, 2026. The DWP says that pensioners who live alone and were born between September 28, 1946 and June 27, 1960, will get a £200 payment, while those who live alone and were born before September 28, 1946 will get £300. If you live with someone else who is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment your payment may be different and will range between £100 and £300. Most pensioners will get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if they’re eligible and the DWP is sending out letters from October confirming the payment amounts. The payments will then follow in November and December. Warm Home Discount – £150 The Warm Home Discount Scheme provides a £150 discount off electricity bills and the scheme reopens in October. In England and Wales, households in receipt of Housing Benefit, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit and Universal Credit will be eligible – the same cohort as last winter. The discount is also available to households in Scotland but the qualifying criteria is slightly different. You’ll get it if you or your partner: get Pension Credit get an extra amount of Universal Credit because you or your child has a disability or health condition get a disability premium or a pensioner premium of income-related Employment Support Allowance get a disability premium or a pensioner premium and have a Support for Mortgage Interest loan. The £150 off is applied to bills by energy suppliers taking part in the scheme rather than straight into your bank account, and you’ll get it automatically from October if you’re eligible. Cold Weather Payment – £25 If the temperature where you live drops to 0C or below for seven consecutive days, you’ll be eligible for a Cold Weather Payment worth £25 this winter. While these payments aren’t available to all state pensioners, you can get them if you’re claiming Pension Credit, so those on low incomes will benefit if the weather turns particularly chilly this winter. You’ll get £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather between November 1, 2026 and March 31, 2026, and if eligible, these payments will be issued to you automatically, so you don’t need to do anything to claim it. If you’re due a payment, the money will appear in your bank within 14 days and the reference will start with your National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP CWP’. You must also be living in England, Wales or Northern Ireland to qualify. You cannot get Cold Weather Payments if you live in Scotland, but you might be eligible for an annual Winter Heating Payment instead. State Pension Energy bills Winter fuel payment Warm Home Discount DWP Cold Weather Payment Winter Heating Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments