Octopus Energy, the UK’s largest electricity supplier, is expanding its support to pensioners impacted by the recent changes to Winter Fuel Payment eligibility.
The government has tightened the criteria, focusing the benefit on pensioners who receive pension credit, typically the lowest-income households.
To address the gaps left by this change, Octopus Energy is extending its £30 million Octo Assist fund.
This expansion will allow pensioner households with lower incomes, who do not qualify for pension credit, to apply for extra financial help.
The energy supplier is offering discretionary credits of £50, £100 and £200 to those who meet the criteria.
Greg Jackson, Founder of Octopus Energy Group, commented: “At times like this, we can’t expect the government to do everything – companies need to work hard on affordability too.
“That’s why we’ve expanded our Octo Assist fund to introduce extra support for the pensioners who need it most.
“There’s a lot of government and other support for pensioners but many don’t realise it – government data shows one in three pensioners eligible for pension credits are not claiming, so we’re training our team to help with this too.”
