State pensioners can cut energy bill by £150 in 16 minutes | Personal Finance | Finance

State pensioners can cut their energy bills by £150 in 16 minutes by claiming one Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit.

Pension Credit provides extra cash to people of State Pension age on a low income and is now worth an average of £4,300 per year following a 4.8% uplift on April 6. Under the new 2026/27 rates, single claimants can top up their income to £238 per week, or their joint weekly income to £363.25 per week if you have a partner, but if you qualify for Pension Credit, you can also unlock access to further financial support – including a £150 cut to your energy bills.

If you get Pension Credit you can also get help with your heating costs through the Warm Home Discount Scheme. This scheme provides a one-off £150 discount off electricity bills which is applied automatically by your electricity supplier and is due to reopen in October 2026.

The discount is then usually applied to bills by March 31 the following year, helping households to save on heating costs during the colder months.

According to the DWP, it takes just 16 minutes on average to apply for Pension Credit and if you’re eligible, the benefit can give you access to thousands of pounds worth of extra support, including this £150 energy bill help.

In its drive to boost Pension Credit take-up last year, the DWP said: “Pension Credit provides a lifeline in retirement to pensioners on low incomes, providing access to additional support, including housing costs, council tax and the Winter Fuel Payment.

“The online claim form – updated by the Work and Pensions Secretary after listening to the views of pensioners– means it now takes just 16 minutes on average to apply for Pension Credit and be eligible for up to £4,300, with 90 percent of new customers applying using the simple online form, or over the phone.”

Currently, 28 energy suppliers are part of the Warm Home Discount Scheme including major firms like British Gas, E.ON Next, EDF, Octopus Energy, OVO and ScottishPower, so eligible customers of these suppliers are in line to get £150 off their energy bills later this year.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) confirmed this year that the Warm Home Discount Scheme will be extended in England, Wales and Scotland for a further five years to winter 2030/31, giving eligible households continued energy bill help over the winter months for the next five years.

As such, those who continue to meet the qualifying criteria each year will get a whopping £750 discount on their energy costs up to the winter of 2030/31.

The DESNZ has confirmed that the existing eligibility criteria will be retained in England and Wales for a further five years, and the current Core Group 1 and 2 will be merged into a single Core Group.

Currently, households in England or Wales qualify for the £150 discount automatically if they are the named billpayer on their energy bill and get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit. This is known as ‘Core Group 1’.

Those who don’t get the Guarantee Credit element of Penson Credit may still be eligible if they are the named billpayer on their energy bill and receive any of the following means-tested benefits:

• Housing Benefit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• The ‘Savings Credit’ element of Pension Credit
• Universal Credit

This is known as ‘Core Group 2’. As of winter 2026/27, these two core groups will be merged into a single group.

As for those in Scotland, the discount is currently only automatic for those who get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit. But as of winter 2026/27, Scottish households will get the £150 bill help automatically if, on the qualifying date in August 2026 all of the following apply:

• you (or your partner) are named on the electricity bill
• you get any element of Pension Credit
• you get one of the following means-tested benefits and meet other conditions, such as having a child under the age of five or you get a disability related uplift as part of your benefit:
  • Housing benefit
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income-related Employment Support Allowance
  • Income Support
  • Support for Mortgage Interest
  • Universal Credit

Energy providers in Scotland will also have to allow some households in receipt of certain benefits to apply for the discount but the criteria will vary by supplier and this is yet to be confirmed.

The DESNZ said earlier this year: “The Government will lay regulations for the next scheme period to ensure the regulations are in force ahead of winter 2026/27. This will enable the continuation of the scheme without interruption, securing continued support for around 6 million low-income and vulnerable households next winter and providing certainty for suppliers and delivery partners.

“The reforms set out in the Government response will take effect from the date the new regulations come into force, allowing us to move swiftly to implement the planned reforms and operational changes.

“The Government will continue to work closely with Ofgem, Scottish Government, and stakeholders to finalise operational details, update guidance, and communicate changes in advance of implementation, ensuring a smooth transition and robust delivery of targeted support for the next scheme period.”