Qualifying date for automatic Warm Home Discount rebate set

The qualifying date for the automatic £150 Warm Home Discount rebate in winter 2024/25 was 11 August 2024, according to the independent benefits information service Entitledto¹. Households in England, Wales and Scotland that received the guarantee element of Pension Credit on that date should receive the rebate from their electricity supplier without making a claim¹.

The rebate is a one-off £150 for winter 2024/25¹. Between 2011 and 2022 the amount was £140 and the eligibility rules were different in England and Wales¹. The supplier must take part in the scheme, though the vast majority do, and the claimant or their partner must be named on the electricity bill for their sole or main residence¹.

In England and Wales, households that received one of a list of means-tested benefits on 11 August 2024 should also receive the rebate automatically¹. Those benefits are income related Employment and Support Allowance, income based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit, Universal Credit, Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits and Pension Credit Savings Credit¹. Tax credit eligibility depends on household income, with thresholds for winter 2024/25 set out by household size¹:

Homes in England and Wales must also meet a "high energy cost score"¹. Data matching between government departments such as the Valuation Office Agency and energy suppliers looks at property type, age and floor area to judge whether a home is likely to be expensive to heat or have low energy efficiency, and an Energy Performance Certificate can be used where VOA information is missing¹. The score may change each year, so a property may not be eligible every year¹. Eligibility to a disability benefit alone no longer provides automatic access in England and Wales, as it previously did in some suppliers' schemes¹.

Scotland differs. Households there do not need to meet the high energy cost score applied in England and Wales, but suppliers may apply their own criteria, which can vary by company¹. Scottish households in the Broader Group are not paid automatically and must claim, even if they received the rebate last year, because the number of discounts each supplier can give is limited¹.

Why it matters for households

For eligible households in England and Wales, the £150 is applied to the electricity bill rather than paid as cash, and a confirmation letter should arrive before the end of the year¹. The discount should be applied automatically by the end of March 2025¹. Households that have not received a confirmation letter by mid-January 2025 can contact the Warm Home Discount team on 0800 030 9322, lines open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, but calls must be made before 28 February 2025¹. A government tool is also available to check eligibility, and the Government is writing to people who may be eligible¹.

In Scotland, the timing depends on the supplier: some open for applications in September and some in October, and the limited number of discounts per supplier means the rebate is not guaranteed to those who apply later¹. Permanent residents of a Park Home without a direct connection to an energy supplier may be eligible for a Warm Home Discount cheque towards their winter fuel bill, administered by Charis Grants on behalf of contributing suppliers¹. Northern Ireland is not part of the scheme; separate help is available there¹.

What happens next

Confirmation letters are expected before the end of 2024, with the rebate applied to bills by the end of March 2025¹. The helpline closes to new callers after 28 February 2025¹. Scottish suppliers' application windows open from September or October, and the Warm Home Discount and other help with energy bills page sets out the scheme in full, alongside the wider benefits guidance and the Scottish Welfare Fund for crisis support.