Thousands on benefits receiving free £251 payment to cover energy bills – check if you qualify

THOUSANDS of households on benefits should look out for a free £251 payment landing in accounts to cover energy bills.

The help comes via the Child Winter Heating Payment which is designed to help disabled young people and their families.

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The payment is only made to households in Scotland, usually in October or November, and covers the increased costs of heating over the winter months.

The number of payments issued in 2023/24 was 30,400, up from roughly 26,000 the year before.

That means in all likelihood tens of thousands will receive payments worth £251.50 in 2024/25.

The extra payment will come in more than handy after the price cap rose by £149 a year last month.

It means the average household in England, Wales and Scotland on a dual-fuel tariff is paying £1,717 a year, up from £1,568 previously.

Of course, your yearly bill might have gone up more or less than this depending on your usage as the price cap just sets a limit on what suppliers can charge per unit of gas and electricity.

Who is eligible for the Child Winter Heating Payment?

Households with a child aged under 19 and on a number of benefits qualify. The list of qualifying benefits is:

• the highest rate of the care component of Child Disability Payment
• the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance for children
• the enhanced daily living component of Personal Independence Payment
• the enhanced rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment 

You must have been receiving one of the above benefits at least one day in the third full week of September to get the Child Winter Heating Payment.

In 2024/25 this is September 16 to September 22.

You also qualify if you claim a benefit after the third week of September and manage to backdate it.

If you live in a household with more than one child or young person who qualifies for help, both will receive a payment.

The Child Winter Heating Payment is made automatically and you do not need to apply.

It is usually paid into the same account you receive your qualifying benefit.

So, if you receive PIP, it will be transferred into the account you receive that.

It’s worth bearing in mind, if you live outside the UK but still qualify for a Child Winter Heating Payment, you will need to apply.

You have to fill in a form available via mygov.scot and send it to: Child Winter Heating Payment, PO Box 10317, Dundee, United Kingdom, DD1 9GR.

To apply by phone, you can call Social Security Scotland from outside the UK on +44 (0)1382 931 000.

OTHER HELP ON OFFER

What about if you don’t live in Scotland? If you’re on benefits in England, Wales or Northern Ireland you can get other help to cover energy bills.

Warm Home Discount

You might be able to a one-off discount on your electricity or gas bill via the Warm Home Discount.

It’s a £150 automatic deduction applied between October and March every winter.

The payment is always made to those on the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit.

You may also be eligible if you claim these benefits: Housing Benefit
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support, the ‘Savings Credit’ part of Pension Credit or Universal Credit.

If you receive one of the longer list of benefits, the government will assess how much energy your property uses to see if you are eligible for a discount.

Cold weather payment

Cold weather payments are made between November and March each winter and are worth £25.

The payments are made to eligible households for every seven day period where temperatures fall, or are forecast to fall, to zero degrees Celsius or below.

You receive £25 for each seven day cold snap, which means you can get multiple payments between November and March.

You only get cold weather payments if you live in England or Wales and are on a number of benefits. These are:

• Pension Credit
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit
• Support for Mortgage Interest

However, there are other specific eligibility requirements to meet for each qualifying benefit. You can find out more on gov.uk.

Winter fuel payment – up to £300

Winter fuel payments are worth up to £300 this winter and paid to those on Pension Credit or other benefits.

It used to be available to all those over state pension age, but the government has made it means-tested.

It is only available to those living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You can get either £200 or £300 depending on how old you are.

If you were born between September 23, 1944, and September 22, 1958, you receive £200.

Those born before September 22, 1944, get £300.

In most cases you receive the payment automatically if you qualify, but some have to apply for it.

If you live abroad, you have to make a claim by phone or post. More information is on the gov.uk website.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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