Fewer UK households are now eligible for the government’s £200-300 Winter Fuel Payment this year. And we know many customers depended on this help.
That’s why we’re stepping up to help bring this support back to customers who need it most: offering our own £50, £100 and £200 ‘Winter Fuel Payments’ to thousands of Octopus customers who’ll no longer be eligible with the recent changes.
What is the Winter Fuel Payment and what’s changing?
The Winter Fuel Payment is a yearly payment (of either £200 or £300) to help pension-age households cover their bills in the winter.
Up until recently, the payment went to all UK households with someone over state pension age. Starting this winter, it’ll only go to households who also receive Pension Credit or another one of these benefits.
This means the number of households who’ll receive the payment will go from around 11 million to just over 1 million. Means-testing the payment helps make sure support goes to customers who need it most – some of the lowest-income households. But no targeting is perfect and we know it could leave some pensioners who are just above the affordability line with additional costs to cover.
What are we doing?
We’re extending our £30m Octopus Assist fund so that thousands of customers missing out on the Winter Fuel Payment and struggling with bills can now claim discretionary credits of £50, £100 and £200 from the fund.
How do I apply for help through Octopus Assist?
We’ll ask you to share some information about your health, any vulnerabilities, income and monthly costs so we can work out the best ways we can help you. Applying is quick and straightforward, and you can do it online, over the phone, or by mail.
We’ll also check if you’re entitled to any other government support or benefits (which for some customers, add up to £10,000 a year) and can help you apply. More on that below.
How does our Octopus Assist fund help people?
We created the fund to support customers struggling with bills in the cost of living crisis.
In three years, we’ve added £30 million in funding and helped 80,000 customers through bespoke support including payment breaks, standing charge holidays and clearing energy bill debt. As well as other initiatives, like:
- Electric blankets: Free electric blankets for customers, resulting in an average winter saving of £150 per household, with 60,000 distributed so far.
- Thermal imaging cameras: Loaning thermal imaging cameras to help customers in leaky homes spot and fix draughts so save on heating bills
- Energy Helpers: Friendly experts visited over 300,000 customers to give tailored in-person energy-saving advice and account help
- Saving Sessions: Helps customers save money by using less energy during peak periods, with over 2 million participants and £10 million in savings paid out so far.
Overall, we’ve spent well over £150 million to support customers since the beginning of the crisis, between helping the most vulnerable through the Assist fund and absorbing some of the highest energy costs off everyone’s bills.
Read more about this work and how we’ve fought for fairer prices for all.
Helping customers access crucial government support
850,000 UK customers haven’t claimed pension credit yet – missing out on support of £2,677 a year on average. Our Octopus Assist application will tell you if you’re eligible for any support and we can help customers apply for those.
Our team are working with 60+ local authorities to make sure customers in their communities know how to access support (from Octopus Assist and government schemes like pension credit) to cover their bills and keep warm.
