With the latest announcement over winter fuel payments for pensioners being reinstated there has come a wave of scammers looking to cash in. Phishing attacks, mainly via text messages, are already being sent out to pensioners pretending to be from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).
The announcement of the winter fuel payments for 2025/26 being reinstated has been massively welcomed by many. The payments are worth £200 per household, with an increase to £300 for anyone over the age of 80 and are sent directly to state pension recipients.
Scammers are using this as an opportunity to target pensioners by sending out text messages claiming to be the DWP and asking them to follow a link or lose the winter fuel payment. They are also claiming that there is a time limit to make the claim and it needs to be done urgently. These are NOT from the DWP, who has stated that the payments will be issued to all state pension recipients automatically.
If you are ever worried over a message or email it’s always best to confirm the information from a different source. Ideally find a telephone number for whoever has apparently sent the message from their own website, in this case the DWP, and NEVER click a link you are not 100% sure about. If you are still worried you can always contact us and we can look for you.
