Andy Burnham told to give £360 to households on 4 DWP benefits this winter

Andy Burnham told to give £360 to households on 4 DWP benefits this winter EXCLUSIVE: The DWP has been told to give £360 to eligible households on benefits this winter, an increase of £210 on the current scheme. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Alex Evans , Deputy Audience Editor 19:29, Sun, Oct 11, 2026 Updated: 19:30, Sun, Oct 11, 2026 Andy Burnham has been told to increase benefits this winter (Image: Getty) A DWP benefits handout currently paying £150 to eligible households should be increased by more than £200 this winter, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been told. Mr Burnham and his Chancellor, John Healey, are set to deliver their first Budget this October following the departure of former PM Sir Keir Starmer and his embattled Chancellor, Rachel Reeves . As part of the preparations for the big day on October 28, various businesses, charities and key organisations across the UK have been invited to make submissions to the government about what they think should be changed as part of the Budget. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Charity Citizens Advice has suggested that the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) should look at massively increasing the value of the Warm Home Discount. Currently, the Warm Home Discount gives a £150 payment to households on benefits in England and Wales to help meet the cost of energy bills over winter, which this year have increased by 4% in October and are set to jump even higher this January. Get the latest politics news - straight from our team in Westminster and more 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 . But, the charity argues that the Warm Home Discount has not been increased to account for inflation and that the Warm Home Discount should be increased from its current £150 to an average of £360, with several 'tiers' of support. The charity said: “We welcome the expansion of the Warm Home Discount (WHD) to all households receiving means tested benefits, providing them with a vital lifeline. However, the value of the discount has been £150 for over a decade, and has not kept pace with inflation or sharply rising energy prices. It currently does not provide adequate support to the households who are struggling the most with their energy bills. Furthermore, changes to the way the scheme is paid for mean those on low incomes, who use the most energy, pay most towards it, significantly reducing the benefit they get from the scheme.” Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Instead, the charity is now urging that ‘tiered support’ be introduced, which would offer an average of £360 per household, meaning some would be given even more. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT It continued: “Valuations Office Data should be used as a proxy to assess energy needs, to provide tiered support. As this is how the previous WHD operated with the high-cost-to-heat threshold, it should be possible for the Government to implement these changes this winter. “Our modelling, which was done in partnership with IPPR and Policy in Practice, assumed 5.6 million households on means tested benefits would receive, on average, £360 towards their energy bills. This would see 600,000 households no longer spending over 10% of their income on energy, which would have a significant impact on those who are struggling most. Andy Burnham told to 'reverse' National Insurance tax rise - 'costing UK jobs' Andy Burnham told to abolish Sunday trading laws in England this October "With energy continuing to be one of the least affordable bills, implementing this model would help millions of households at the sharp end of the cost of living crisis. By committing to funding the scheme long-term, the Government could help households to get their budgets under control, keep their homes safe and warm, and begin to reduce the debt burden in the energy market by making bills more affordable.” Citizens Advice admits that this would cost an extra £2Bn a year to put in place, but that funding should come from general taxation rather than more being added to energy bills. Right now, those eligible for Warm Home Discount include state pensioners on Pension Credit, as well as households on Universal Credit, Housing Benefit and/or Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance. Andy Burnham Warm Home Discount Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments