The Warm Home Discount: 2026/2027 updates
What is the Warm Home Discount (WHD)?
The Warm Home Discount helps eligible customers cover their high winter bills. Customers who qualify receive a credit of £150 towards their energy bills before 31 March 2027.
Important: The Qualification date for the Core Group Scheme 2026/2027 is 23 August 2026. You or your partner who meet the Core Group eligibility must be named on the electricity bill on 23 August 2026.
Update for 2026: The Warm Home Discount rules for Scotland have changed - your £150 discount may be processed automatically.
The Core Group in Scotland has been expanded, meaning more households will receive their £150 automatically.
Please carefully check the new Scotland Core Group eligibility to see if you or your partner are eligible. Look out for a letter from DWP between October - December 2026.
If you do not meet the Scotland Core Group criteria, please take a look at the Broader Group application to see if you or your partner are eligible for this scheme.
If you’re worried you’ll struggle to pay your bills, we have more information about how we can help.
To jump straight to the WHD scheme information that applies to you:
For answers to most common questions:
Important info to note
There is no need to apply for the Warm Home Discount scheme if you live in England & Wales. Although, you may be requested to contact the WHD Helpline to confirm a few details.
Customers in Scotland can check whether they need to apply for Warm Home Discount through their supplier's Broader scheme, or will receive it as part of the expanded Core Group.
You will not be contacted by the UK Government or Ofgem asking for bank details.
You should not look out for texts, and we advise you not to click on links provided in suspicious texts or emails.
If you are eligible, you should look out for a physical letter by post between October and December 2026 confirming you will get £150 off your electricity bill, or to call the helpline to check if you are eligible. Physical letters will be sent by Warm Home Discount Scheme, PO Box 970, PRESTON, PR2 0FX.
The WHD Helpline will open mid October this year.
England and Wales Warm Home Scheme 2026 / 2027
23 August 2026 is the qualifying date for the Core Group. You or your partner must meet the eligibility criteria on this date to be eligible for a rebate. You or your partner must be named on the energy bill to receive the rebate. If your benefits claim is backdated to this date or earlier, you may also become eligible for a rebate.
Mid October: WHD helpline opens for 2026/2027 scheme year and is for Core Group customers in England, Wales and Scotland. If you or your partner are eligible, the energy supplier who supplied your electricity on the qualifying date 23 August 2026 will be responsible for providing the rebate.
There is no need to apply for the Warm Home Discount scheme. You will receive a letter providing the necessary details.
Between October 2026 and December 2026, letters will be sent to qualifying customers for Core Group. The letter will confirm if you are eligible for an automatic rebate or advise you to call a helpline to check if you are eligible.
If you have not received a letter by mid-January 2027, but you think you should be eligible for a rebate under Core Group, you will need to contact the WHD helpline.
26 February 2027 is the deadline to contact the Warm Home Discount helpline if you are advised to get in touch in your letter.
Core Group: £150 for eligible households in receipt of means-tested benefits or Pension Credit
The qualifying date for meeting these criteria is 23 August 2026.
The criteria to qualify for this scheme are:
Be with an energy supplier that is part of the WHD scheme.
You (or your partner) were in receipt of a qualifying means-tested benefit or pension credit as listed in the Low Income Criteria section below, on the qualifying date of 23 August 2026.
You or your partner are named on the energy bill.
Means-tested benefits, which includes:
Universal CreditIncome-related Employment and Support Allowance
Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
Income Support
Housing Benefit
Pension Credits Savings CreditGuaranteed element of Pension Credit
How can I check if I'm eligible?
If you have not received a letter by January 2027, but you think you should be eligible, you will need to contact the WHD helpline.
Scotland Warm Home Scheme 2026 / 2027
23 August 2026 is the qualifying date for a Core Group rebate. You or your partner must meet the eligibility criteria on this date to be eligible for a rebate. If your benefits claim is backdated to this date or earlier, you may also become eligible for a rebate.
October 2026 the WHD helpline will open for the 2026 and 2027 scheme year and is for Core Group customers in Scotland.
If you or your partner are eligible, the energy supplier who supplied your electricity on 23 August 2026 will be responsible for providing the rebate.
You do not need to apply for the Broader Group Warm Home Discount Scheme if you are in receipt of any of the following:
Pension Credit Guaranteed credit and/or savings credit. Universal Credit Employed / Self-employed and receive child or young person disability element, unemployed and responsible for a child under 5 who normally lives with you, have limited capacity for work or Limited capability for work and work-related activity elements. Income support or income-based JSA Responsible for a child under 5 who normally lives with you and JSA includes a premium (Pensioner, Higher Pensioner, Disability, Severe Disability, Enhanced Disability, or Disabled Child premium) Income-related ESA Responsible for a child under 5 who normally lives with you and limited capability for work or work-related activity and your ESA includes a premium (Pensioner, Severe Disability, or Enhanced Disability premium). Support for Mortgage Interest You are treated as entitled to State Pension Credit or the loan payments are linked to Income Support, JSA, or ESA and you have a child under 5 living with you or you would have qualified for any of the pensioner or disability premiums listed above.
If you are not in receipt of the above criteria, you may still be eligible to apply with your supplier under the Broader Group Scheme.
Between October 2026 and December 2026, letters will be sent to qualifying customers for Core Group. The letter will confirm that they are eligible for an automatic rebate or advise you to call a helpline to check if you are eligible.
If you have not received a letter by January 2027, but you think you should be eligible for a rebate under Core Group you will need to contact the WHD helpline.
26 February 2027 is the deadline to contact the Warm Home Discount helpline if you are advised to get in touch in your letter about your Core Group claim. Please contact the helpline included in your letter before this date if you're eligible to make sure you don't miss out on the payment.
Your energy supplier will apply the rebate no later than 31 March 2027.
Broader Group applications will open mid October.
Unlike the Core Group 2 scheme in England and Wales, customers who are on low income and on certain benefits need to apply for the Broader Group.
There are two groups for this scheme: Core Group (in receipt of Pension Credit or certain means tested benefits and meet additional criteria), and the Broader Group (on low income or who meet certain qualifying benefits).
If you are in the Core Group or Broader Group, you will receive a £150 credit into your energy account.
Core Group: £150 for eligible pensioners and certain means-tested benefits and meet additional criteria
To receive the WHD in this group you (or your partner's) name must be on your energy account, and you (or your partner) need to meet at least one of the following criteria:
| Pension Credit | Guaranteed credit and/or Savings credit. |
|---|---|
| Universal Credit | Employed/ Self-employed and receive child or young person disability element, unemployed and responsible for a child under 5 who normally lives with you, have limited capacity for work or limited capability for work and work-related activity elements. |
| Income support or income-based JSA | Responsible for a child under 5 who normally lives with you and JSA includes a premium (Pensioner, Higher Pensioner, Disability, Severe Disability, Enhanced Disability, or Disabled Child premium). |
| Income-related ESA | Responsible for a child under 5 who normally lives with you and limited capability for work or work-related activity and your ESA includes a premium (Pensioner, Severe Disability, or Enhanced Disability premium). |
| Support for Mortgage Interest | You are treated as entitled to State Pension Credit or the loan payments are linked to Income Support, JSA, or ESA and you have a child under 5 living with you or you would have qualified for any of the pensioner or disability premiums listed above. |
Be with an energy supplier who participates in the WHD scheme.
Customers will be contacted in writing by mid-December to be advised of their eligibility for the scheme. You'll be sent a letter in the post saying:
You're getting the discount automatically and you'll receive £150 credit into your energy account before the 31st March 2027, or
You need to contact the WHD helpline.
Broader Group: Application scheme £150
Applications for the Broader Group will open mid October 2026.
Customers in Scotland who fall under the Broader Group will need to submit an application to their supplier to receive the Warm Home Discount rebate.
If you do not do not meet any of the eligibility criteria for Core Group, you may be eligible for the Broader Group Scheme.
Successful applications will be approved and WHD payment applied before the 31st March 2027.
You can review the status of your WHD application in your online account.
Frequently Asked Questions: WHD for England and Wales
In the unlikely event that the Department for Work and Pensions have not been able to match a household with any of the data they have available, Households will be contacted in writing.
The WHD helpline will open in mid October.
Letters are expected to be sent to eligible households between October 2026 and December 2026.
If you are confirmed as eligible for a rebate, your energy supplier will apply the discount to your account by 31 March 2027.
If we supply you for both electricity and gas as a dual fuel account, the WHD credit will be added to your credit energy account.
If you have a gas account with a different energy supplier to your electricity, we will apply the payment to your electricity account.
This may be applied as a credit directly to your meter if you are on Smart Pay As You Go, or through energy vouchers you can use to top up your traditional prepay meter.
Vouchers will be sent by letter if this is your preferred method of contact. Or if you have a registered email on your energy account, your vouchers will be emailed directly from Paypoint from noreply@paypoint.com
England & Wales relies on fully automated, centralised data-matching between the DWP, DESNZ, and energy suppliers, removing the need for customer applications.
Scotland maintains a hybrid model featuring an automatic Core Group alongside an application-based Broader Group. Scotland schemes are determined by the Scottish government.
To see if your postcode is a Scottish address, you can use the Scottish Postcode Directory (SPD) | National Records of Scotland (nrscotland.gov.uk).
DWP uses this database for determining Scottish postcodes for the Core Groups. It is better to use the full postcode to check where you may be eligible.
The eligibility criteria are in the 'Core Group: £150 for eligible households' section above.
They can also be found at: https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme.
Households that qualify for the Core Group Warm Home Discount will be sent a letter from HM Government. Letters are expected to be sent to qualifying customers between October and December 2026, confirming that they may be eligible for the rebate and any next steps.
Your letter will say if you will receive a rebate automatically or if you need to call the WHD helpline to confirm your details. If advised to, it is important that you call the helpline telephone number included in your letter before the final claim date 26 February 2027.
If you are eligible, your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill by 31 March 2027.
If you believe you should be eligible for the Warm Home Discount but have not received a letter confirming your eligibility by early January 2027, you should contact the WHD helpline when it opens later this year.
While most eligible households will receive their rebate automatically, you may receive a letter between October and December 2026, advising you to contact the helpline to determine if you are eligible for a rebate.
If you are advised to contact the helpline, it is important that you contact the WHD helpline by calling the number included in the letter before the deadline of 26 February 2027. If you do not do so, you will not receive a rebate this winter.
You'll need:
The reference number from your letter
Your full address and postcode
Your electricity supplier on 23rd August 2026
Your electricity bill or statement, as you will need to read out the bill payer’s name and account number
If you switch away, but were supplied by us on 23rd August 2026 and you are eligible for the Core Warm Home Discount payment, we will be responsible for paying this to you.
If you moved to us after 23rd August 2026 and you are eligible for the Core WHD payment, you will need to contact the supplier who supplied your property on the qualifying date (23rd August 2026) as they will be responsible to pay your Warm Home Discount.
If you move home, and are on supply with us on 23rd August 2026 and you are eligible for the Core WHD payment, we will be responsible for paying your Warm Home Discount.
If you move home and switch suppliers after the 23rd August 2026 and you are eligible, we will be responsible for paying your Warm Home Discount.
If you move home and you are on supply with another supplier on 23rd August 2026, you will need to contact your new supplier about the Warm Home Discount.
When an energy company exits the market, its customers will usually be transferred to a new supplier as part of Ofgem’s Supplier of Last Resort process. We would expect your new supplier to provide you with the rebate. For further information, you should check with your new energy supplier.
Under Core Group, either you or your partner can be in receipt of the relevant benefit or Pension Credit.
Please ensure you are both named on the account electricity bill or account of a participating supplier to ensure no delays with providing your WHD rebate.
You/or your partner must be registered on your record on DWP’s benefit system or you will not be eligible for a rebate.
Frequently Asked Questions: WHD for Scotland
You can check the progress of your Broader application on your online account by clicking here.
If your application is successful, the WHD rebate will be added to your energy account, added as credit to your Smart Pay As You Go electric meter or sent to you as energy vouchers from PayPoint, to top up your traditional prepay meter, by 31 March 2027.
If you are confirmed as eligible for a rebate, your energy supplier will apply the discount to your account by 31 March 2027.
If we supply you for both electricity and gas as a dual fuel account, the WHD credit will be added to your credit energy account.
If you have a gas account with a different energy supplier to your electricity, we will apply the payment to your electricity account.
England & Wales relies on fully automated, centralised data-matching between the DWP, DESNZ, and energy suppliers, removing the need for customer applications.
Scotland maintains a hybrid model featuring an automatic Core Group alongside an application-based Broader Group. Scotland schemes are determined by the Scottish government
To see if your postcode is a Scottish address, you can use the Scottish Postcode Directory (SPD) | National Records of Scotland (nrscotland.gov.uk).
DWP uses this database for determining Scottish postcodes for the Core Groups. It is better to use the full postcode to check where you may be eligible.
Core Group
Households that qualify for the Warm Home Discount will be sent a letter from the Government. Letters are due to be sent to qualifying customers between October and December 2026, confirming that they are eligible for the rebate and any next steps.
Your letter will say if you will receive a rebate automatically or if you need to call the WHD helpline to confirm your details beforee the deadline of 26 February 2027 if you're eligible so you'd don't miss out on the payment.
Broader Group
If you are on a low income and/or in receipt of certain means tested benefits you may be eligible under the Core Group Scotland or Broader Group. Applications are currently closed and will open mid October.
If you are eligible, your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill by 31 March 2027.
If you believe you should be eligible for the Core group WHD but have not received a letter confirming your eligibility by early January 2027, please check the government website for more information about the scheme.
While most eligible households will receive their rebate automatically, you may receive a letter between October and December 2026, advising you to contact the helpline to determine if you are eligible for a rebate.
If advised to, it is important that you call the WHD helpline from October 2026 and before the deadline of 26 February 2027 if you are eligible so you don't miss out on the payment.
You'll need:
The reference number from your letter
The account holder's name on your energy account
Your full address and postcode
Your electricity supplier / the supplier you had on 23rd August 2026
As detailed in the declaration section of your signed application, we sometimes need to ask for documentary evidence to support your application.
Applications will be randomly selected for an audit which is a requirement under the WHD scheme regulations.
We will contact you to explain what evidence is needed should you be randomly selected as part of this audit process.
Core Group
If you switch away but were supplied with us on 23rd August 2026 and you are eligible for the Core WHD payment, we will be responsible for paying this to you.
If you switched to us after 23rd August 2026 and you are eligible for the Core WHD payment, you will need to contact the supplier that supplied your property on the qualifying date (23rd August 2026) as they will be responsible to pay your WHD.
Broader Group
You will need to contact your new supplier to see if they participate in the WHD scheme and re-apply with them.
Core Group
If you move home and are on supply with us on 23rd August 2026 and you are eligible for Core WHD payment, we will be responsible to pay your Warm Home Discount.
If you move home and are on supply with another supplier on 23rd August 2026, you will need to contact your new supplier about the Warm Home Discount.
Broader Group
If you have not received the rebate before you switch suppliers, you will need to contact your new supplier to see if they participate in the WHD scheme and re-apply with them. Only accounts on supply will receive £150 WHD rebate on successful approval of their Broader group application.
Core Group
When an energy company exits the market, its customers will usually be transferred to a new supplier as part of Ofgem’s Supplier of Last Resort process. We would expect your new supplier to provide you with the rebate. For further information, you should check with your new energy supplier.
Broader Group
You will need to contact the new supplier to see if they participate in the WHD scheme and re-apply with them.
Published on
Lil Murdoch
Warm Home Discount Operations Manager