Does the government actually have your email address? I would be very wary, I received notification in the post from the DWP about the winter fuel payment and it does not ask for any further details. I assume it will be paid into the account used for my state pension. If it is the payment for the subsidy to fuel bills then direct debit customers will receive the payment in a series of six monthly payments to their electricity supplier. I have received two payments so far. There seems to be a process to claim the subsidy if you do not use direct debit or a prepayment meter. I would be very cautious and look out for email addresses that are almost correct but have an extra character included that is easy to miss.

Mike

Edited By Mike Poole on 30/11/2022 10:11:36

It's a 100% copper-bottomed scam! Don't respond. See this article in the Independent, other news sources available.

Dave

Anything from the genuine suppliers will have details such as name, address, account or meter numbers that are not normally available to the scammers. Anything missing such details is best treated as a scam until proven otherwise by means other than clicking on a dodgy link. Almost all the scams I see are vague about who they are for, along the lines of the "dear mum" or "dear dad" I need money ones, that do not say who they are from as they do not include the purported child's name.

Martin C

100% scam. I have just received my paper bill for gas and it shows the rebate as "Energy Price Guarantee" and -£xx for the month. The electricity bill shows the same entry but a lower amount. I think there is some calculation related either to the amount used or because the gas is heating.

Hi, apparently there are a number of scammers jumping on this support scheme, so be wary. If it's from the Government, you should get a letter from them telling what you will get and how it will be paid to you. there is Government info online Energy Support (google)

Regards Nick.

You won't get anything in the post

It simply comes off your Electric company bill

I got an email from the supplier saying it was being applied

Any communication asking for identity verification can be treated as a scam. Only accept email or letter from a known source with verifiable contact details. When making contact only confirm your identity with the minimum of detail, with banks it may be just two numbers of a verification code they already have, I assume power suppliers would use something similar. All this assumes you can hold on the phone long enough, this is where phone over internet comes in useful.

My winter fuel allowance was paid into my bank last Monday. I got the letter from DWP this dinner time. I got the (scam) e-mail this morning and deleted it without opening it. Also, it's the first time that the letter has not been in a brown envelope.

Roy