Extra support is available with energy bills and food for millions of people this winter.
Eligible households can get help with energy bills, food and essentials this winter (Image: Getty)
Households across the UK on low incomes could get up to £785 worth of free handouts from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in time for Christmas. The cash is available via several DWP schemes, including the Household Support Fund, the Winter Fuel Payment, the Warm Home Discount Scheme, Cold Weather Payments and a Christmas Bonus, to help pay for energy bills, food and other essentials this winter, some of which will be paid to eligible homes before Christmas.
December 25 is now only a month away, which means Christmas shopping should be well underway for many households, and this, coupled with winter energy bills, makes it a very expensive time of the year. As such, the Government is providing extra financial support to struggling households, but as with all Government schemes, there are strict eligibility criteria that must be met to qualify.
But with several winter payments up for grabs, it’s possible for some households to qualify for everything, which could be worth up to £785 this winter. Listed is a rundown of the winter schemes you can qualify for and how much you could get:
Household Support Fund – £300
The Household Support Fund provides local councils in England with a share of a funding pot worth £742 million to help vulnerable households with essential living costs, including energy bills, food and other essentials.
The funding is allocated from now until March 31, 2026, and local councils independently decide how to share the cash, so there may be different eligibility criteria depending on where you live.
It means that the cost of living support will vary by location, with different vouchers or grants up for grabs up and down the country. The payments may also be issued at different times depending on where you live, so it’s possible for some to receive the support in time for Christmas, while others may have a longer wait.
The DWP says there may also be differences in who the money is given to and if or how you need to apply for the support, as some local councils opt to share the money out through local charities and community groups, while some limit household applications to one per year.
For example, households in Staffordshire can get a one off £300 utility payment made direct to their utility provider via the scheme, while residents in Calderdale can get a maximum of two payments of £85, amounting to £170 worth of support in total.
Doncaster Council will pay eligible households up to £300 towards food costs, while other households can qualify for a £100 payment to go towards energy bills.
Elsewhere, households in Nottingham can get energy vouchers worth £98 and supermarket vouchers worth £75, amounting to £173 worth of support, and residents in Manchester receiving Council Tax support and a disability benefit can get £130.
Winter Fuel Payment – up to £300
Pensioners who were born before September 22, 1959, and live in England or Wales can get a Winter Fuel Payment, which is worth between £100 and £300.
The amount you get is based on when you were born and your circumstances during the qualifying week between September 15 and 21, 2025.
The DWP says nine million pensioners across England and Wales will benefit from Winter Fuel Payments this year, with the payments rolling out automatically between now and the end of December, meaning many will see the cash arrive in their bank account before Christmas. The payment reference pensioners should look for on their bank statement will begin with their National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP WFP’.
The DWP has confirmed the vast majority of pensioners should see this payment in their bank account by mid-December. If eligible households haven’t received a payment by January 28, 2026, they should contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160.
Warm Home Discount – £150
The DWP’s Warm Home Discount Scheme reopened in October and provides eligible households with a one-off £150 discount off their electricity bill.
There are different ways to qualify for the scheme depending on where you live, but it is available to households in England, Wales and Scotland.
Households in England or Wales will qualify for the £150 discount in 2025/26 if they are the named bill payer on their energy bill, and receive any of the following means-tested benefits:
- Housing Benefit
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
If you live in England or Wales, your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill automatically. If you live in Scotland, energy suppliers set the criteria for the scheme so households should contact their supplier to check if they are eligible.
Eligible households will receive the discount between October 2025 and March 2026, so it’s possible it will arrive before Christmas.
Cold Weather Payment – £25
If the temperature where you live drops to 0C or below for seven consecutive days, you’ll be eligible for a Cold Weather Payment. This is automatic if you’re on an eligible benefit such as Pension Credit, Income Support or Universal Credit.
The DWP will issue the payment to eligible households between November 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, meaning it’s possible to receive a payment before Christmas.
Christmas Bonus – £10
The Christmas Bonus is a one-off tax free payment made before Christmas to people claiming certain benefits in the first full week of December.
The qualifying benefits include State Pension, Pension Credit, Pension Age Disability Payment, Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payment (PIP), among others.
If you’ve been claiming one of the eligible benefits in the qualifying week, which this year will be from December 1 to 7, the DWP will issue the £10 bonus payment to you automatically.
