Which? reported on 2 July 2025 that it had seen several text messages claiming to be from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that offer grants towards energy costs1. All the messages include links to websites designed to steal personal and financial information, the consumer body said1.
The messages claim to offer a "winter heating allowance", "energy allowance", "home energy allowance" or a grant under a "DWP energy support programme", and state that the recipient is eligible for £200 to £300 under one of these schemes1. Recipients are asked to follow a link to complete an application and are given a tight deadline to do so1. Some texts disguise the link using a URL shortener, a tool that converts a long web address into a shorter one and is often used by scammers to hide a fraudulent site1.
Which? described two delivery methods. In some cases recipients are added to a group text message with numerous other recipients; in others the text is sent from a mobile number that has been hijacked by the scammer, a practice known as spoofing1.
The genuine Winter Fuel Payment is paid only to people over State Pension age in England and Wales with an income of £35,000 or less a year, according to Which?1. It said the payment will be made automatically this winter and will be £200 per household, or £300 where someone over the age of 80 lives in the home1.
"Following the recent Winter Fuel payment announcements, scammers have been busy impersonating the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to trick recipients out of personal and financial information."
Which? listed the government support schemes it says are genuine: the Warm Home Discount Scheme, which it said will reopen in October 2025; energy-saving improvement schemes, which it said can be applied for on the official government website; and home energy support payments, also applied for on the official government website1. It did not report the value of those schemes.
Which? listed warning signs of a suspicious text: messages from unknown numbers, requests for personal and financial information, texts containing links, poor spelling and grammar, and pressure to act quickly1. It said scam texts can be reported by forwarding the message free of charge to 77261.
Why it matters for households
The texts target people who may be expecting a Winter Fuel Payment or other energy support, and the sums quoted, £200 to £300, match the amounts Which? gives for the genuine Winter Fuel Payment this winter1. Anyone who follows a link and enters details risks losing personal and financial information, and potentially money, to a fraudulent website impersonating the government1.
Which? said the genuine Winter Fuel Payment is made automatically, without an application1. The scam messages instead ask recipients to follow a link and complete an application within a tight deadline1. The payment applies to people over State Pension age in England and Wales with an income of £35,000 or less a year1. Which? did not report how many people have received the scam texts, how much money has been lost, or whether the DWP has commented.
What happens next
Which? said the Warm Home Discount Scheme will reopen in October 20251. It said anyone who loses money to a scam should call their bank immediately using the number on the back of their bank card, and report it to Action Fraud, or call the police on 101 in Scotland1. Details of how to report a phishing, vishing or smishing message, and how to go about claiming a refund from your bank after a push payment loss, are set out in the site's scams and fraud guidance.
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