The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that the Warm Home Discount scheme, providing a one-off £150 payment to eligible households, will reopen in October this year. The scheme will remain unchanged despite the transition from Sir Keir Starmer to Andy Burnham as Prime Minister.
The discount is applied directly to eligible residents' electricity bills rather than being paid into bank accounts. According to the Express, incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham has placed the cost of living at the centre of his policy objectives ahead of his formal confirmation.
Eligibility Criteria
Residents in England and Wales may qualify if they receive the guarantee credit element of Pension Credit from the DWP. Those on a low income and claiming housing benefit, income-related employment and support allowance, income-based jobseeker's allowance, income support, the savings credit part of Pension Credit, or Universal Credit are also eligible.
The DWP states: "If you do not get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, you may still be eligible for the Warm Home Discount." Additional conditions include having an energy supplier that participates in the scheme and receiving certain means-tested benefits during a specified period.
Policy Changes Under Burnham
Reports indicate that Mr Burnham may relax government restrictions on new oil and gas drilling upon becoming Prime Minister. This possibility has drawn criticism from the Green Party.
Adrian Ramsey, Green Party MP, said: "With heatwaves causing deaths, wildfires and extreme weather across the country, approving new oil and gas drilling is exactly the wrong response and will do nothing to bring down energy bills. The science is clear: if we are serious about limiting climate breakdown, we cannot keep opening up new fossil fuel projects. Greens support a just transition that protects workers and communities while accelerating investment in renewable energy, not doubling down on the fuels driving the crisis."
