Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what date in 2021 her Department notified utility suppliers of those (a) in receipt of the Guarantee Element of Pension Credit and (b) in the core group for the Warm Home Discount.

The warm home discount scheme is the responsibility of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

However, the Department for Work and Pensions operates a data match with relevant energy suppliers to ensure customers in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee Credit (known as the core group) receive an automatic rebate on their energy bill where possible.

The qualifying date to determine warm home discount eligibility for 2021/22 was the 4 July 2021. The department completed this year’s exercise by 9 October 2021.

The department also undertakes a further exercise in mid-November, this is to capture any Pension Credit Guarantee Credit claims that may have been backdated.