DWP issues warning to millions of benefits claimants with mobile phones

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have issued an urgent warning about a current scam that could wipe out people's bank accounts. Four separate warnings have been issued across the social media platforms within the past month with the department requesting people to stay alert about the fraudulent activities.

These scams involve a fake Winter Fuel Payment and Energy Support Scheme, set up by heartless fraudsters. People receiving benefits have been getting text messages that falsely claim to be reminders to apply for this year's "winter allowance." Claimants have also reported receiving scam texts claiming they are eligible for an 'Energy Support Scheme' meant to help with rising gas and electricity bills.

The message states: "You have not yet completed your application for an energy subsidy for 2025. The subsidy is between £200 and £300.

"Your application has not yet been detected by the system, so please ensure that you submit your application by June 10. The channel will close after this date and the application will not be processed."

The message proceeds: "(Once you have received a message from the system, please reply with 'y' and go to this page again, then exit the text message and re-open to activate the link, or copy the link and open it in your browser).

"Have a great day, DWP."

But a DWP spokesperson stated: "We never send text messages or emails requesting your bank details for winter fuel payment purposes. If you have any doubt whether a text is genuine, forward it to 7726 and you will receive a reply confirming if it's legitimate.

"Be aware of scam text messages claiming to be from the Department for Work and Pensions.

"Always be careful about links and never share personal or financial details. Only engage with trusted official sources.

"You can report suspicious messages to Action Fraud or search https://www.gov.uk."