ENERGY suppliers have started issuing £150 payments to help millions of households with gas and electricity costs this winter.

This support is provided through the government’s Warm Home Discount scheme, offering a one-off, tax-free discount on electricity bills for low-income households.

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The scheme reopened at the beginning of the month, and customers have taken to social media to share that they’ve started receiving the £150 discount.

Households in England and Wales don’t have to apply to get the cash and receive it automatically.

Some Scottish households do have to apply for the discount.

One EDF customer on Facebook yesterday: “Has anyone got their Warm Home Discount of £150 as we have had ours this afternoon added to our smart meter.”

Another customer responded and said: “Mine came through today too.

One Ovo Energy customer also said on Facebook this morning: “Woke up this morning to the Warm Home Discount applied to my meter!”

Another added: “Same! I haven’t been entitled the last few years, so I don’t know what’s changed!”

The eligibility requirements for the Warm Home Discount are the same as last year.

Between now and December, the government is issuing letters to over three million households eligible for the scheme.

These will tell you:

• You’re eligible and you’ll get the discount automatically; or
• You might be eligible, and you need to give more information.
• The letter will tell you to call the helpline by February 29, 2024 to confirm your details.

Who’s eligible for the discount?

To qualify for the Warm Home Discount, you need to claim either the guaranteed credit element of pension credit or a different qualifying benefit form the list below:

If you weren’t claiming any of the above benefits on August 11, 2024, you won’t be eligible for the payment.

Where someone claims a qualifying benefit, the government will assess their energy costs based on the type, age and size of property.

This means that you may not be considered eligible for the Warm Home Discount if you live in a more energy-efficient property for instance, even if you receive a qualifying benefit.

However, this rule doesn’t apply to recipients of the guarantee credit portion of pension credit.

Even if you weren’t getting pension credit on August 11, thousands of pensioners who apply for the benefit now can still qualify for the £150 payment.

This is because pension credit rules allow first-time claimants to backdate their benefit entitlement by three months.

So you’ll need to launch your claim by November 10 and then successfully get it backdated to cover the August 11 Warm Home Discount qualifying date.

But if you fail to apply before this date, you’ll miss out.

If you haven’t received a letter confirming your eligibility for the scheme by early January 2024, but believe you qualify, you should contact the helpline on 0800 030 9322.

How is the Warm Home Discount paid?

If you pay by direct debit or on receipt of your bill the £150 Warm Home Discount will be added to your electricity account as a credit.

Once it has been applied, it will show on your next bill.

If you have a traditional prepayment meter, your energy supplier will send you a letter explaining how you’ll get your discount.

You’ll usually receive a Post Office voucher in the post and instructions on redeeming it. 

It’s vital to cash in these vouchers as soon as you receive them.

Data from the Post Office, showed that up to £3million worth of vouchers went unclaimed last year.

If you have a smart prepayment meter, your energy supplier will automatically credit your meter with the discount.

What energy bill help is available?

There’s a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you’re struggling to get by.

If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.

This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.

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If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.

Several energy firms have grant schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.

But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.

For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.

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British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.

You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.

EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.

Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).

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The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill, and some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.

Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.

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UK housing secretary Angela Rayner this week took control of the stalled planning decision over a huge new Chinese embassy in central London, just days before foreign secretary David Lammy travelled to Beijing.

The Chinese government purchased Royal Mint Court, a historic site near the Tower of London, six years ago but has so far failed to gain planning permission to build a new embassy there.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government wrote to Tower Hamlets council on Monday to announce that Rayner was calling in the decision, taking it out of the hands of the local authority.

Rayner, who is also deputy prime minister, has decided to hold a local inquiry into the matter “to consider all the relevant aspects of the proposed development”, the letter said.

Beijing wants to build a giant complex over 20,000 square metres of land. It would be China’s largest diplomatic mission in Europe and far outstrip the size of its current embassy in Marylebone, built on a 830 sq m plot.

In December 2022, Tower Hamlets rejected planning proposals for what would have also been the largest diplomatic base in the UK, after receiving objections on security grounds and over the impact on local residents. There were also protests around the site.

China declined to appeal against the decision at the time. UK government officials said their Beijing counterparts were frustrated by the suggestion they should deal with a local authority and annoyed the British central government, then run by the Conservatives, would not intervene.

However, this summer, after Labour had taken power, the Chinese embassy confirmed it had submitted a new planning application and publicly put pressure on the UK government to assist it.

“Host countries have the international obligation to support and facilitate the building of the premises of diplomatic missions,” a Chinese embassy spokesperson said in August, adding that China and the UK “should provide facilitation to each other” in this respect.

Tory MP and former UK minister Neil O’Brien questioned whether Rayner’s move was part of a wider plan by the Labour administration to step up engagement with China that included Lammy’s visit.

Lammy travelled to Beijing on Friday to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and was set to go on to Shanghai on Saturday.

“I think a lot of people will look at the timing of this decision and assume it’s part of that operation to suck up to Beijing,” said O’Brien, who had sanctions imposed on him by China after co-founding the hawkish China Research Group in parliament.

Sam Dunning, director of research organisation UK-China Transparency, also said the timing of Rayner’s decision “raises the question whether the CCP [Chinese Communist party] have leveraged Labour’s desire for a visit to exact concessions on something that is a big priority for them — to build a super-embassy.”

The suggestion was denied by a UK official, who said: “The timing of the decision was taken by the ministry of housing. It had no relation to the foreign secretary’s visit.”

The official said the planning application raised issues of more than local importance and that it was standard for applications to be called in if they affected other governments or had a national security impact.

Submissions to the new local inquiry will inform a formal recommendation to Rayner, who will then decide whether to give planning approval. Her decision can be judicially reviewed.

Not all critics of the Chinese regime have taken a dim view of Rayner’s move. Luke de Pulford, executive director of the hawkish Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, welcomed the central government’s decision to hold a local inquiry.

“Local campaigners have fought to be heard for more than four years, and more or less single-handedly held back the mega development in a battle of David and Goliath proportions,” he said on X.

While he acknowledged there were good reasons for relocating the embassy from its current site, de Pulford said that moving it to a “residential site of historic and strategic importance where protest would be dangerous is just plain silly”.

MHCLG said: “Applications for a new Chinese embassy in Tower Hamlets have been called in for ministers to decide. A final decision will be made in due course.”

The Chinese embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CONDOMS are the latest product to be hit by shrinkflation.

Shoppers are having a hard time figuring out why a box of “Elite” rubbers by trendy brand Skyn has gone from 22 to 20 but costs the same.

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And a hike at high street chain Superdrug has also proved a flop with buyers.

It was previously flogging 24 packs of the “vegan-friendly” contraceptives from Skyn’s range for £14.99.

Now, it only sells packs of ten for £10.49.

One shopper said online: “Now even sex is undergoing shrinkflation.”

Another made a joke of the product’s branding, saying it should be: “Thinner, softer, fewer.”

Skyn condoms have seen their popularity swell thanks to a non-latex, skin-friendly material.

The firm says it is “technologically advanced” and “proven to enhance stimulation”.

The sales pitch continues: “It feels so soft and comfortable that you’ll barely notice wearing it, allowing you and your partner to feel everything.”

The company has positioned itself as the main competitor to Durex.

Skyn and Superdrug were both contacted for comment.

What is shrinkflation?

Skrinkflation is when manufacturers shrink the size or quantity of a product but keep the price the same.

This means that consumers will end up paying more for the same amount or product.

They do this to help them to cope with rising costs of producing an item.

Why are products axed or recipes changed?

ANALYSIS by chief consumer reporter James Flanders.

Food and drinks makers have been known to tweak their recipes or axe items altogether.

They often say that this is down to the changing tastes of customers.

There are several reasons why this could be done.

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For example, government regulation, like the “sugar tax,” forces firms to change their recipes.

Some manufacturers might choose to tweak ingredients to cut costs.

They may opt for a cheaper alternative, especially when costs are rising to keep prices stable.

For example, Tango Cherry disappeared from shelves in 2018.

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It has recently returned after six years away but as a sugar-free version.

Fanta removed sweetener from its sugar-free alternative earlier this year.

Suntory tweaked the flavour of its flagship Lucozade Original and Orange energy drinks.

While the amount of sugar in every bottle remains unchanged, the supplier swapped out the sweetener aspartame for sucralose.

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A large hit to profit margins may push a company to reduce the size of its products rather than push up the price.

You can often spot shrinkflation if a company redesigns its packaging or uses a new slogan.

It is often used in the food and drink industry but can also happen in almost all markets.

But companies often risk putting off customers if they notice that they are getting less for the same price.

Have other products been affected?

Condoms are not the only product to be the victim of shrinkflation.

Cadbury has shrunk the size of its Buttons selection box from 375g to 340g.

When it launched last year the box contained Salted Caramel Buttons, Caramilk Buttons and Orange Giant Buttons.

But this year it has been tweaked to include White chocolate buttons, Caramel Nibbles and Milk Chocolate Buttons.

Meanwhile, earlier this month Herbal Essences customers were outraged to discover that its conditioner had shrunk.

The Dazzling Shine, Hello Hydration, Daily Detox and Ignite My Colour products have been reduced by almost a third.

They have reduced from 400ml to 275ml in recent months but still have a sticker price of around £2.

Plus fans of Jelly Babies were horrified to discover that bags of the treat are now more than ten per cent smaller.

Share bags have been cut from 190g to 165g, equivalent to two or three fewer babies per pack.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

AN ABANDONED UK airport that once offered budget flights to Spain and Cyprus has revealed plans to re-open after a two-year closure.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport shut in 2022 after Wizz Air confirmed it would terminate the majority of its flights from the airport.

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The airport, also known as the Robin Hood Airport, is located in Finningley near Doncaster and previously served millions of travellers heading to holiday destinations.

It opened to passengers in 2005 and was one of only two commercial international airports in Yorkshire.

Within its first year, it became the 23rd largest airport in the UK, and by 2007, it had served an impressive 2.28 million passengers.

The first commercial flight from Doncaster Sheffield Airport was to Palma de Majorca, and it has since flown travellers to destinations across Greece, Portugal, and France.

The airport’s reopening is expected to delight nearby residents, who will be eager to once again use the popular travel hub.

Mayor Ros Jones stated that she intends to keep “councillors, residents, and businesses updated” as plans progress to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

She added: “The procurement of an operator is in its final stages of due diligence, we have regular meetings with investors, businesses and airlines.

“We have submitted a Statement of Need to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in relation to re-establishing our airspace, this will soon be publicly available via the CAA website, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of retaining our airspace, our MPs continue to engage with the Aviation Minister in relation to this.”

Mark Chadwick, a garage owner, is part of the Save Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) campaign.

He revealed that a major announcement regarding the airport’s reopening is expected in the coming weeks and encouraged people to sign a petition advocating for the reinstatement of the airport’s airspace.

The garage owner stated that the council was in discussions with potential operators and urged campaign members to remain patient as due diligence is conducted.

He said: “The purpose of due diligence is to mitigate risks, ensure legal compliance, and contribute to effective decision-making.

“So please be patient. And as my dear mum used to say “if you’ve nothing nice to say please don’t say anything!”

THE AIRPORT’S FUTURE

Doncaster Council signed a new 125-year lease on the travel hub earlier this year, while a new operator is expected to be named soon.

What’s more, millions of pounds worth of grants have been approved for the airport, while airlines have expressed an eagerness to return to its runways.

And last week, Three MPs from Doncaster met the new Aviation Minister Mike Kane to discuss the airport’s future.

The minister revealed that he is working with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on its reopening and on reopening its airspace, to allow planes to land and take off.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, MP for Doncaster East and Axholme Lee Pitcher said: “Pleased to have met the Minister for Aviation & his team to discuss opening the airspace above Doncaster when needed – There was a strong commitment.

“Pleased to hear that the team are working closely with the CAA already to help allow the airspace to be available when required.”

Pitcher was joined in the meeting by Doncaster North MP Ed Miliband and Doncaster Central MP Sally Jameson.

The trio had previously written to the Aviation Minister to put forward the case for the airport’s reopening, urging him to prevent it becoming a “long and convoluted process”.

Their letter, published by Doncaster Free Press, reads: “As time is of the essence in our determination to re-open the airport, we strongly request that you as Aviation Minister intervene in preventing a long and convoluted new process that could place the airport; its operator and the airlines and freight companies at risk.

“A number of airline operators have already indicated a desire to commence operations at the Airport and it is likely that this will include a mix of low-cost, charter and full-service operators.

“Once the airport operator has been finalised in September, plans will be drawn up to re-commence general and business aviation traffic, with passenger operations to follow.”

Included in those airlines hoping to fly from the airport once it reopens is TUI, which confirmed earlier this year that it wants to use the hub again in the future.

The carrier was one of several that used to use the airport, which offered flights to places like Spain, Cyprus, Poland and Romania.

A TUI spokesperson previously said: “TUI has always supported Doncaster Sheffield Airport, proudly flying customers from the region and were disappointed when the airport closed.

“We’re excited about actively engaging with stakeholders about a potential re-opening”.

The Sun has contacted Sheffield council and save DSA for comment.

THOUSANDS of pensioners looking to claim Pension Credit should be aware of a loophole that could see them lose out on benefits.

Pension Credit gives you extra money if you claim the State Pension and are on a low income.

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Over one million retirees get the financial support, with the figure expected to rise as more households look to claim the benefit to get access to the Winter Fuel Payment.

That is because cuts made by Chancellor Rachel Reeves mean only those on means-tested benefits – which includes Pension Credit – get the £300 support.

But now a fresh report published by the Social Security Advisory Committee has warned those considering applying for the support.

The document states that those claiming Child Tax Credit could actually be worse off financially if they moved to claiming Pension Credit

Child Tax Credit is given to parents or grandparents looking after children aged up to 16, or in some instances children under 20 if they remain in full-time education.

On average, the amount you receive per year comes to £545, but this can increase depending on the number of children you care for or if they are living with a disability.

But if you are already claiming the credit and then try to apply for Pension Credit, you will no longer receive the payments.

The report read: “There is a potential risk that some people may take steps to move onto Pension Credit in the belief that this would be beneficial, but “ultimately be financially disadvantaged.”

This is because they will lose their “transitional protection,” which is money the government gives as support to households as they move from other benefits to Universal Credit or Pension Credit.

This has been introduced as the government steams ahead with its managed migration process.

As part of the move legacy benefits – such as Tax Credits, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance – are all being phased out.

All claimants will then be moved to Universal Credit by the end of April 2025.

The report, went on to say: “Pensioners currently in receipt of Child Tax Credit would lose their entitlement to transitional protection should they migrate to Pension Credit.”

If you are not claiming Tax Credits and are worried about energy bills this winter then you should consider applying for Penson Credit.

The support tops up your weekly income to £218.15 if you are single or to £332.95 if you have a partner.

It will also give you access to the Winter Fuel Payment, which is a one-off payment of £300 to help with energy costs over the winter.

What can you get on pension credit?

If you live with a partner and you are both State Pension age then your weekly income must fall below around £350.

However, if your income is slightly higher, you might still be eligible for Pension Credit if you have a disability, you care for someone, you have savings or you have housing costs.

You could get an extra £81.50 a week if you have a disability or claim any of the following:

• Attendance allowance
• The middle or highest rate from the care component of disability living allowance (DLA)
• The daily living component of personal independence payment (PIP)
• Armed forces independence payment
• The daily living component of adult disability payment (ADP) at the standard or enhanced rate.

You could get the “savings credit” part of pension credit if both of the following apply:

• You reached State Pension age before April 6, 2016
• You saved some money for retirement, for example, a personal or workplace pension

This part of Pension Credit is worth £17.01 for single people or £19.04 for couples.

Pension Credit opens the door to other support, including housing benefits, cost of living payments, council tax reductions and the Winter Fuel Payment.

Claims for Pension Credit also open doors to a number of freebies and discounts.

For example, Pension Credit claimants over 75 qualify for a free TV licence worth up to £169.50 a year.

Claims for the benefit also provide eligibility to £25 a week cold weather payments and the £150 warm home discount.

Help with managed migration

Anyone moving from tax credits to Universal Credit can find help in a number of ways.

You can visit your local Jobcentre by searching at find-your-nearest-jobcentre.dwp.gov.uk/.

There’s also a free service called Help to Claim from Citizen’s Advice:

• England: 0800 144 8 444
• Scotland: 0800 023 2581
• Wales: 08000 241 220

You can also get help online from advisers at citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/help-to-claim/.