This winter, millions more individuals will be eligible for the Warm Home Discount, a £150 reduction on their electricity bills. This is due to new eligibility criteria released this month, although the benefit is only set to start being distributed around October.

Eligibility for the benefit falls into one of two categories. Previously, these were:.

• People receiving the Guarantee element of Pension Credit - Core Group 1.
• People with low income and high energy costs - Core Group 2.
• People in Scotland identified by their supplier as at risk of fuel poverty - Broader Group.

However, the recent update has made it so that people in core group 2 no longer need to have high energy costs to qualify.

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Simply claiming one of the qualifying benefits will be enough to receive the discount this winter.

The current full list of qualifying benefits includes:

• Housing Benefit.
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA).
• Income Support.
• The 'Savings Credit' part of Pension Credit.
• Universal Credit.

If you receive Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit, you may also be eligible, provided your household income falls below a certain threshold.

To qualify, the person receiving the qualifying benefit must be named on the energy bill. The money is not paid to you like cash in hand; instead, it is applied to your bill by your electricity supplier.

If you're on a prepayment meter, you might find a voucher arriving via post or email instead. Those residing in Scotland are encouraged to get in touch with their energy supplier if they think they may qualify under the core or broader groups.

Official statistics suggest that over 6 million households will benefit from the scheme this year, marking an increase of 2.7 million. Among these, 900,000 are families with children and 1.8 million are homes experiencing fuel poverty.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer commented: "I know families are still struggling with the cost of living, and I know the fear that comes with not being able to afford your next bill.

"Providing security and peace of mind for working people is deeply personal to me as Prime Minister and foundational for the Plan for Change.

"I have no doubt that, like rolling out free school meals, breakfast clubs and childcare support, extending this £150 energy bills support to millions more families will make a real difference."

While this is a major update for the seasonal benefit. A bigger announcement is expected later this year as the scheme in its current form expires in March 2026, although it has been extended in the past.