Government announces winter fuel payment means-test

The government announced plans in July 2024 to scrap the winter fuel payment for millions of pensioners not claiming means-tested benefits¹. Some older people may need to take action by claiming Pension Credit to continue receiving the annual payment of either £200 or £300¹.

The change was reported by Which?, which said fraudsters were poised to capitalise on confusion surrounding winter fuel payments¹. It warned people to be wary of calls, texts and emails claiming to be from an energy supplier, the government or Ofgem¹. A scam text cited in the report claims that "the government decided to provide subsidies in the form of living expenses" because of "the cancellation of heating subsidies this winter", and includes a link to a website attempting to steal personal and financial information¹. Which? said fraudsters have also repeatedly posed as the energy regulator, Ofgem, to offer free boilers, cheaper tariffs, grants or energy efficiency upgrades¹. It had previously warned in 2022 of a bogus email and website using the Ofgem logo¹.

The report also set out other energy-related frauds. Action Fraud has warned that gangs are cloning prepayment meter keys with, for example, £100 of credit on them, before selling them door to door for just £50, sometimes posing as energy company employees¹. Customers of solar firms that have stopped trading have reportedly been approached out of the blue and offered a free check of their installation, often alongside a high-pressure attempt to sell a maintenance contract or a suggestion that the system needs expensive repairs¹.

On meter tampering, research from the insurer Direct Line revealed that 30% of electricians and gas engineers had spotted signs of meter tampering while on call-outs, according to the report¹. In 2021, toddler George Arthur Hinds died in a gas explosion at his family home in Heysham, near Morecambe, after the next-door neighbour, Darren Greenham, removed a length of gas pipe with an angle grinder to sell it for scrap and bypassed his gas meter to steal gas¹. Greenham, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, damaging a gas meter and theft of gas, was jailed for 15 years¹.

Why it matters for households

The payment at stake is £200 or £300 a year for pensioners who qualify¹. Under the announced plan, pensioners not claiming means-tested benefits would lose it, and the report states that some older people may need to claim Pension Credit to keep receiving it¹. The report does not set out the income threshold, the qualifying benefits or the date the change takes effect, and those details have not been reported in the material available. The scam warnings concern anyone contacted about energy subsidies, prepayment meter credit, solar maintenance or meter work, whether or not they receive the winter fuel payment¹.

What happens next

Which? advises forwarding suspected scam texts to 7726 to report them¹. Suspicious websites can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre¹. Anyone who suspects a meter has been tampered with can report it anonymously to Stay Energy Safe on 0800 023 2777, and anyone who smells gas should open doors and windows, turn off the gas if it can be done safely, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999; calls to these numbers are free¹. No date has been reported for when the winter fuel payment change takes effect.