Which? reported on 2 July 2025 that scammers have been impersonating the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in text messages that offer grants towards energy costs and link to websites designed to steal personal and financial information1. The consumer body said the activity followed recent Winter Fuel Payment announcements1.
The messages claim to offer a "winter heating allowance", "energy allowance", "home energy allowance" or a grant under a "DWP energy support programme", and state that the recipient is eligible for £200 to £300 under one of these schemes1. Recipients are asked to follow a link to complete an application and are given a tight deadline1. Which? said some texts use a URL shortener to disguise the link, and that the links lead to malicious websites impersonating the government1.
Which? described two delivery methods: recipients added to a group text message with numerous other recipients, and texts sent from a mobile number hijacked by the scammer, known as spoofing1. It listed warning signs as messages from unknown numbers, requests for personal and financial information, texts containing links, poor spelling and grammar, and pressure to act quickly1.
The genuine Winter Fuel Payment is paid only to those over State Pension age in England and Wales with an income of £35,000 or less a year, according to Which?1. It said the payment is made automatically this winter and is £200 per household, or £300 where someone over the age of 80 lives in the home1. Which? also listed the Warm Home Discount Scheme, which it said will reopen in October 2025, along with energy-saving improvement schemes and home energy support payments that can be applied for on the official government website1.
"Following the recent Winter Fuel payment announcements, scammers have been busy impersonating the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to trick recipients out of personal and financial information."
Why it matters for households
Energy support schemes are a route to lower bills without spending on upgrades, so a text that appears to confirm eligibility carries weight with households waiting on a payment. The scam works by borrowing the credibility of a real scheme: the amounts quoted, £200 to £300, match the genuine Winter Fuel Payment figures1, which makes the offer harder to dismiss at a glance.
The practical risk is not a lost grant but lost data. Which? said the linked sites exist to steal financial and personal information1, and that the messages arrive by group text or from a spoofed mobile number, so the sender's number gives no reliable signal1. For a household's energy independence, the damage is indirect: money taken, accounts accessed, and a legitimate application route avoided afterwards. The genuine schemes named by Which? are applied for through the official government website, and the Warm Home Discount reopens in October 20251. Guidance on energy grant scams and fake government schemes and on how to spot and report an energy scam covers the pattern; households checking what they may actually qualify for can use how to check which energy grants you qualify for and which benefits qualify you for energy grants.
What happens next
Which? said scam texts can be reported by forwarding the message free of charge to 77261. It said anyone who loses money to a scam should call their bank immediately using the number on the back of their bank card, and report it to Action Fraud, or call the police on 101 in Scotland1. The Warm Home Discount Scheme will reopen in October 20251. No further DWP response to the scam texts has been reported.