TODAY The Sun launches a ­Winter Fuel SOS campaign to help thousands of pensioners worried about their energy bills.

More than 800,000 older ­people risk missing out on the £300 Winter Fuel Payment — and other ­benefits they may be ­entitled to — because they have not first registered for Pension Credit, which unlocks access to the payment.

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And the extra money will be even more welcome after this month’s ten per cent rise in the Energy Price Cap to £1,717.

But good news is at hand, with our Winter Fuel SOS crew ready to offer advice on getting all the money that is yours by right.

In her July statement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that this winter, only households in England and Wales that receive Pension Credit or certain means-tested ­benefits will be entitled to the ­Winter Fuel Payment.

Previously it was available to everyone aged over 66.

The decision will strip ten million pensioners of the tax-free handout.

There are just weeks left to claim, so it is essential that those who are eligible apply now.

An estimated 880,000 UK retirees could be entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment yet will miss out because they did not register for Pension Credit.

We have heard from readers who cannot work out if they are able to claim the ­benefit.

Others have said how worried they are that they won’t get the Winter Fuel Payment this year — raising fears they won’t be able to ­afford to heat their homes.

We want to change that.

That’s why we have gathered together a top line-up of experts — and our Winter Fuel SOS crew will be taking your calls this Wednesday.

We want to hear from you by phone or email — and it’s fine if you are calling or messaging on behalf of a friend or relative.

Our panel includes former ­pensions minister Sir Steve Webb, pensions expert Baroness Ros ­Altmann and consumer champion Martyn James.

They will be joined by The Sun’s Head of Consumer Tara Evans and Sun Savers Editor Lana ­Clements.

And even if you aren’t eligible for the payment, our team will be ­sharing tips on how to switch energy providers and save money, get help if you’re in debt or simply need to save this winter.

Your cases will be considered by our panel, who will aim to give you advice within one week of your call or email.

Caroline Abrahams, of the charity Age UK, said: “People often think if you have some savings or a small ­pension there’s no point applying for Pension Credit, but that’s often not the case.

“Don’t be put off by the forms — Age UK can help.”

How do I claim pension credit

PENSION Credit is a weekly payment from the Government to those over the state pension age who have an income which is below a ­certain level.

If your claim is successful then the benefit will top up your income to £218 a week if you are single, or £11,343.80 a year.

Meanwhile, if you live as a couple, your ­combined income will be boosted to £332.95 a week, or £17,313.40 annually.

The money you receive in Pension Credit can be spent as you want, but it could be used to pay for food, fuel, energy or housing costs.

Retirees who receive Pension Credit are also entitled to the Winter Fuel Payment, which is worth up to £300 and is designed to help you pay your heating bill over the chillier months ahead.

To qualify, you must have been eligible for Pension Credit during the “qualifying week”, which was September 16-22.

But Pension Credit can be backdated by up to three months, which means the last date you can make a claim and still get the Winter Fuel Payment is December 21.

There are several ways to apply for Pension Credit, including making your claim online or by telephone.

To register for the payments you will need to be receiving the state pension. See gov.uk for more information.

You can also call the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234 and they can help you to fill in an application form over the phone.

The lines are open from Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm.

Before you call, it would be helpful to have your ­National Insurance number and bank account details, plus information about your pension, income and savings to hand.

To contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre call 0800 731 0160. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

You can also send a letter by post to: Winter Fuel Payment Centre, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 1LR.

When you contact the centre you will need to tell them personal information including your name, address, date of birth and National Insurance number.

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What other help is there?

IF you are not eligible for Pension Credit but need help to make ends meet this winter, then there are still things you can do to save money.

You could save £162 a year by switching your gas and electricity ­supplier.

Around 28million homes have seen energy costs rise due to the new price cap.

On Tuesday it rose from £1,568 to £1,717 a year, which means bills are up ten per cent, or £149 a year.

This cap sets a maximum rate per unit that ­customers can be charged for their energy use and changes every three months.

The price cap only affects customers who are on a standard variable energy tariff, which rises or falls depending on the cost of raw energy.

Meanwhile, those who are on a fixed tariff agree in advance how much they will pay for their energy use for a whole year at a time.

A handful of suppliers are currently offering deals that are cheaper than the price cap. The current cheapest is from Outfox The Market and costs £162 less than this month’s cap.

You can reduce the amount of energy you use by lowering your ­thermostat, draught-proofing doors and windows and taking shorter ­showers to bring down your monthly costs.

Meanwhile, energy firms including EDF, ­British Gas and Ovo are offering customers up to £150 free to help with their bills this winter.

The help is provided through the ­Government’s Warm Home Discount Scheme.

To be eligible, you need to be claiming certain benefits which include Universal Credit, ­Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits.

You do not need to apply for the cash and should receive it automatically.

Our panel of experts will be on hand to ­suggest other ways to save money, depending on your ­circumstances.

Call our expert team on 0800 028 1978

Sir STEVE WEBB: PENSIONS ­Minister 2010- 2015. Joined consultancy Lane Clark & Peacock in 2020 and campaigned to secure around £2billion for women underpaid the state pension.

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Baroness ROS ALTMANN: EXPERT on later-life issues. Government’s Business Champion for Older Workers 2014-15. Awarded a CBE in 2014 for her work on pensions and retirement planning.

MARTYN JAMES: AN award-winning consumer rights expert, journalist and broadcaster with two decades of experience working for the UK’s leading newspapers.

JONATHAN CHESTERMAN: DEBT advice policy manager at StepChange debt charity – the largest provider of free and impartial debt guidance in UK. He will help with readers’ debt queries.

ELISE MELVILLE: ENERGY expert at comparison website uswitch.com, she cares about demystifying bill myths. Elise will be on hand to help with energy-saving tips.

BEN GALLIZZI: THE uswitch.com energy specialist is focused on helping customers to manage their home energy usage. He can suggest practical tips to help you cut your bills.

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ADAM STACHURA: THE associate director for policy at the charity Age Scotland, Adam is part of a team that offers advice and tips to older people on their winter fuel issues.

FRAN McSWEENEY: HEAD of services at Independent Age, a charity supporting older people facing financial hardship. Fran and her team run a national helpline on cash issues.

EMILY SEYMOUR: AS Energy Editor for consumer group Which? since 2020, Emily has been at the forefront of its campaigns to help people manage their energy bills.

JOE RICHARDSON: DIRECTOR of operations at Octopus Energy UK. His team are responsible for looking after all aspects of the business’s award-winning customer ­service.

TARA EVANS: HEAD of Consumer at The Sun. She will be joined by Sun Savers Editor Lana ­Clements and our very own Consumer Champion Laura Purkess.

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THE exact date a major supermarket with more than 300 UK branches is set to close has been revealed.

Waitrose fans were saddened to hear their beloved store will be pulling down the shutters for good.

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The site, located in Hall Green, Birmingham, announced it will close its doors for the final time after welcoming customers for more than 50 years.

Execs dubbed the move a sad “last resort” after failing to bring in higher profits.

Redundancy consultations have been started with the store’s 123 members of staff.

Hall Green North Councillor, Saima Suleman, shared the sad news on Facebook this week.

It sparked an outcry among shoppers who claimed they “want to move now”.

Someone wrote: “Hall Green isn’t what it was I think it needs to be more suitably placed.”

Another resident said: “This has made me want to move now.”

Others added on social media: “That’s disappointing! It’s one of my favourites since moving back to Birmingham in this area.”

“I’m so gutted,” agreed a fourth.

“Sad – it was always nice to have it at my door step. The staff in there are really friendly and helpful. What a shame!”, penned another.

The exact closure date was confirmed by Waitrose, and is set in January next year.

James Allen, head of retail operations at the supermarket, said: “Our priority now is doing everything we can to support our Partners at Waitrose Hall Green and we will explore opportunities, wherever possible, for those partners who may wish to remain with the Partnership.

“Closing any of our shops is always a last resort and is in no way a reflection on their hard work and dedication.”

A spokesperson for Waitrose added: “Regrettably, we’ve announced our intent to close Waitrose Hall Green in Birmingham at the end of trade on Tuesday, January 14, 2025.

“Despite the best efforts of our partners, we’ve unfortunately not been able to find a way to make the shop commercially sustainable.

“The 123 partners who work in the shop will now enter a period of consultation. If the redundancy proposals go ahead, every effort will be made to find those who wish to remain within the partnership new roles

“Customers will continue to be able to get all their groceries on waitrose.com, our nearby Waitrose Solihull shop, under three miles away, and other on demand locations in the event the closure is confirmed.

“The John Lewis partnership is committed to providing support to those partners who are at risk of redundancy.

“We’ll be exploring opportunities for partners within the partnership first, and our retraining fund will contribute up to £3,000 towards a recognised qualification or course for up to two years for any partner with two years’ service or more who is made redundant.

“They would also be given access to a three month support programme with an outplacement specialist to help with CV writing and interview skills.”

In addition to statutory redundancy payments, staff who have worked with the business for more than 90 days would be entitled to Partnership redundancy pay, which equates to one week’s pay for every year of service.

It comes as the retailer confirmed it will close all stores to give staff a break on Boxing Day.

The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) has exclusively told The Sun it will shut all its standalone John Lewis stores on December 25 and 26.

Only its shops within the Trafford and Stratford shopping centres will remain open.

Meanwhile, the vast majority of Waitrose stores, also operated by the JLP, will close on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

That means over 300 Waitrose branches and 33 John Lewis sites will be closed to customers on December 26.

A handful of Waitrose shops attached to petrol stations will remain open on Boxing Day though.

A POPULAR cinema chain is set to shutter three sites for good in just days – and more will follow.

Film fans were devastated to hear their local movie theatres were waving goodbye permanently on October 6.

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 It comes as Cineworld made the tough decision to axe their branches in Glasgow, Bedford, and Swindon.

Meanwhile, other locations in Bedford, Loughborough, and Yate are also set to close in a matter of weeks.

The sites will shut for good on these exact dates:

• Glasgow Parkhead (closing October 6)
• Bedford (closing October 6)
• Swindon Regent Circus (closing October 6)
• Loughborough (closing October 13)
• Yate (closing October 13)

It forms part of a major restructuring plan to help the company survive mid troubling times.

A judge recently gave the green light for £16million to be pumped into Cineworld’s four companies which form the business.

The cash came from the business’s parent company, with an extra £35million to also be made available.

Its four companies. Cine-UK Ltd, Cineworld Cinemas Ltd, Cineworld Cinema Properties Ltd and Cineworld Estates Ltd, will also negotiate leases for each of their 101 sites across the UK.

It comes as the chain is also said to be renegotiating rent agreements for around 50 of its sites.

But, 25 cinemas are set to be unscathed by the restructuring plans and will remain open for the foreseeable future.

A spokesperson for the chain said the plan would enable the business for “the long-term and ensure a sustainable future for Cineworld in the UK.”

However, news of the five closures has devasted locals in the affected areas.

One cinema-goer in Glasgow Parkhead, where Cineworld is set to close on October 6, described the move as “brutal”.

While another said: “I’ve got so many childhood memories of Parkhead Cineworld! Such a major loss.”

It comes after the huge cinema chain revealed it expects to come out of bankruptcy protection in July, after receiving backing from lenders.

The chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US last year due to giant debts and loss of revenue.

Meanwhile, another UK cinema chain has fallen into administration and will close multiple sites immediately.

Empire Cinemas operates 14 locations across the country with 129 screens.

A total of six sites will close with immediate effect, including two under the Tivoli brand.

Plus, major cinema chain Odeon has also been forced to shut down several branches.

The movie giant is bringing the curtain down on five of its cinemas forever.

THOUSANDS of lucky customers will have their electricity slashed by 50 per cent this weekend.

British Gas will be be offering customers half price electricity at 11:30 and 1:30 on Saturday and Sunday with its Green Flex event.

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With Green Flex events, customers get half-price electricity when it is very sunny or windy and there is lots of renewable energy available.

This is in addition to its usual half price electricity on Sunday between 11am and 4pm for qualifying customers.

The scheme first launched in December 2022 but has been extended multiple times since.

British Gas uses its own forecasting to set the events to test the potential savings and impact on the grid with this scheme.

The discount is available to new and existing PeakSave customers, and all savings will appear as a credit on customers’ energy bills.

So far, British Gas has paid over £13 million to more than 650,000 customers taking part in the scheme.

Crucially, you can only sign up to the scheme if you have a smart meter that can send half-hourly meter readings.

Smart meters come with a display that shows your gas and electricity use in pounds and pence in real-time.

Their major advantage is that they let you more accurately track how your household habits affect your energy usage.

British Gas says if you don’t have a smart meter, it will install one for free in your home.

Other help to pay for energy bills

If you’re not with British Gas, Ovo Energy has a similar scheme which rewards customers for reducing their energy consumption during peak times.

Power Move offers customers up to £10 a month if they cut their usage between 6-9pm, Monday to Friday.

For example, by using the dishwasher in the morning or waiting until after 9pm in the evening to catch up on TV.

You might be able to get free home insulation or have other energy-saving measures installed in your property through the Energy Company Obligation.

The scheme is designed to help low-income households on certain benefits such as Universal Credit, Child Benefit and Housing Benefit.

The Government previously told The Sun households eligible for the scheme save around £600 to £700 on their bills each year after having energy-saving measures put in place.

You can find out more on the scheme via the Government’s website.

You might also be able to get help via the Household Support Fund which has been extended by six months until the end of September.

The fund has been shared between councils in England who then allocate their portion to those in need.

That means what you can get depends on where you live and can be a bit of a postcode lottery.

However, the help is usually dished out to those on a low income or benefits.

You should contact your local council to see what help is available.

You can find your nearest council by using the Government’s council locator tool.

AN iconic high street retailer with 1,400 UK stores is set to close its shop in a seaside town centre.

WHSmith is preparing to shut its Bournemouth town centre location early next year as shoppers cried “another bites the dust”.

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Sources close to the business have revealed that WHSmith is set to close its Old Christchurch Road branch, possibly as soon as January.

While the company has not officially confirmed the closure, a spokesperson hinted at the possibility, The Bournemouth Echo reports.

They said: “We keep our store lease agreements under regular review, including at our Old Christchurch Road store in Bournemouth and will share updates on any changes to the store in future.”

In another setback for Bournemouth’s town centre, the soon-to-be-vacant unit is already being advertised by estate agents Goadsby.

The shop is available for rent at £150,000 per annum, with terms open to negotiation.

The Post Office inside the store, however, will remain operational for now, though its future is uncertain.

A Post Office spokesperson confirmed they have not yet received any closure notice from WH Smith.

Bournemouth residents have reacted to the closure on Facebook, with one user commenting: “Another shop of Bournemouth bites the dust!! Shame.”

Another added: “Honestly not surprised, know one really shops in Bournemouth, there’s more shops in Poole, Bournemouth is mainly coffee shops and restaurants then places to actually do any shopping.

“I’d rather go to Poole or Southampton if I need anything.”

A third replied: “Omg soon [there will] be nothing left. Dead town.”

While another person wrote: “WHSmiths has failed to update with the times, it will only get worse.”

WHSmith is closing a number of branches across the UK as it looks to extend its arm into the travel sector.

The retail giant, which runs over 1,100 stores, has shuttered eight stores since March 2023, including in Manchester and Bicester, England.

Meanwhile, the stationer has waved goodbye to branches in Oban, Scotland, and Ramsgate, Kent.

But it also comes amid a time of expansion for the chain, which is opening 15 branches at airports and train stations in 2024 in a boost for shoppers.

A POPULAR drinks brand once stocked in Sainsbury’s and Amazon has been plunged administration.

Natural soft drink company Square Root Drinks appointed and administrator on October 3.

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It comes as the website link has been taken down, while stock is unavailable on Amazon.

The announcement was made on X (formally Twitter) by James Beeson, drinks editor at The Grocer.

He said: “Deeply saddened to hear Square Root London has gone into administration.

“I enjoyed my time working for Ed and Robyn – two people who put everything into the brand – tremendously, and owe them a great deal professionally and personally.

“My heart goes out to them both today.”

Square Root made its retail debut in February 2021, launching into Sainsbury’s through the retailer’s Future Brands initiative.

At the time, the company said it was “exciting to be recognised” by the supermarket as a “bold and authentic brand”.

The brand smashed a £250k crowdfunding drive, overfunding by 230 per cent to hit £577,444 from 570 investors in 2021.

Square Root offered a selection of alcohol-free mocktails and natural soft drink flavours, including Ginger Beer, Cola, non-alcoholic gin and tonic, lemonade, and more.

The company was founded in 2012 by Ed Taylor and Robyn Simms in East London.

Administration is when all control of a company is passed to an appointed licensed insolvency practitioner.

It doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the business.

Administration is when all control of a company is passed to an appointed licensed insolvency practitioner.

It doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the business.

But if the administration process can’t rescue the company or find a new owner, this can lead to liquidation.

Liquidation is the process of selling all assets and then dissolving the company completely.

COST OF LIVING PRESSURES

The number of craft breweries in the UK fell from 1,828 at the start of 2023 to 1,815 at the start of the year.

That now stands at 1,748 according to the latest figures up to June from the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA).

The SIBA UK Brewery Tracker takes into account all brewery openings and closures to give an accurate picture of the number of active brewing businesses.

Craft breweries have been hit hard by the cost of living crisis and the pandemic.

While many producers pivoted to home deliveries during covid lockdowns, they were then hit by rising costs combined with people reigning ion their spending.

The prices of energy, rents and ingredients have all shot up. They have also faced higher interest rates when borrowing money to grow the business.

SIBA chief executive Andy Slee said when the latest figures on closures were published in July: “Independent brewers are reporting good sales growth and strong consumer demand, yet breweries continue to close.

“For most breweries the challenge is financial pressures from rising costs and market access, as well as lingering Covid debt – something SIBA has strongly lobbied Government for help on.”