Winter Support for Armed Forces Families (2025 Guide)

The must-check help, grants and discounts available this winter - and how to access them quickly.

Winter hits military households differently — higher heating costs in older homes, solo parenting during deployments, frequent moves, and tighter budgets after career disruption. Add rising energy prices and festive spending, and winter can put real pressure on Forces families.

The good news?

There’s targeted support available for serving personnel, veterans and military families — and a lot goes unclaimed every year.

This guide shows you clearly:

• What financial help and winter support is available right now
• Who qualifies
• How to claim quickly
• Where to find Forces-only grants, emergency assistance and military discounts

So you can stay warm, well, and in control this winter.

Quick Overview: What You Can Get This Winter

You may qualify for:

• £150 Warm Home Discount
• Cold Weather Payments (automatic if your area hits freezing conditions)
• Forces-only grants for energy bills, food, and housing
• Fuel vouchers for emergencies
• White goods and essential household support
• Local help through Service charities, benevolent funds and more
• Exclusive military discounts from Forces-friendly energy companies

Why Winter Brings Extra Pressure for Forces Families

Winter costs rise for everyone, but military life adds extra pressures that most households never face

• Frequent moves = higher bills. Every relocation means new tariffs, setup fees, cleaning costs, replacing essentials, and buying blinds/curtains that fit a new property. 
• Heating military housing often costs more. Most Forces homes are older or less energy-efficient, so heating costs are often higher from day one.
• Deployments push up day-to-day costs. When one partner is away, the at-home parent runs everything alone — more heating, more washing, more driving, more childcare, more convenience spending. Winter magnifies all of it. Managing morale during long, dark days
• Budgets are tighter. Frequent moves and disrupted careers can mean lower or irregular household income, so winter price spikes bite faster.
• Festive season spending increases. Many families travel to see relatives, celebrate early or twice due to deployments, and try to make the season special for children, adding extra costs on top of winter bills. Higher heating and electricity bills

Government Help With Winter Energy Costs

Cold Weather Payment

You receive this automatically if you qualify -  no application needed.

You’ll get a payment if:

• The temperature in your area is 0°C or below for 7 consecutive days
• You receive certain benefits (e.g., Pension Credit, Income Support, Universal Credit under specific conditions)

Worth knowing:

• Payments are made in set instalments
• It’s automatic - but keep your details updated with DWP

Warm Home Discount

A one-off £150 discount applied to your electricity bill.

You may qualify if:

• You receive certain benefits 
• You’re on a low household income. 
• Your energy supplier is part of the scheme
• Your home meets the annual eligibility criteria

Check eligibility and how to apply:

→ Warm Home Discount guidance on GOV.UK

Forces-Friendly Energy Support & Cost-of-Living Help

Some organisations offer help specifically for serving personnel, veterans, and their families.

Examples include:

• Royal British Legion Cost-of-Living Grants: Support for essentials like food, energy bills, housing costs.
• SSAFA Grants & Welfare Support: Practical, local assistance through volunteer caseworkers.
• Naval / RAF / Army Benevolent Funds: Can provide one-off payments to help with heating, rent arrears, or essential home repairs.
• Forces Pension Society: Guidance on pensions, benefits, and financial planning during transition.
• Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity | Army Benevolent Fund | RAF Benevolent Fund all operate grant schemes depending on need.
• SSAFA Community Christmas Appeal – SSAFA offers confidential support for the Armed Forces Community so no one has to battle alone at Christmas, with donations going towards items like hygiene packs, Christmas food parcels, and volunteer training.
• Help for Heroes Winter Wellbeing – Help for Heroes Christmas appeal encourages the public to support veterans who may be experiencing loneliness and isolation. The core message is to help veterans start a brighter new chapter filled with hope and community, and to show them they are valued. The appeal offers three main ways to support veterans: Send a Message: Add a message of hope, thanks, or good cheer to an online message wall to remind veterans they are not forgotten. Make a Donation and Give a Gift.

Grants and Emergency Aid for Ex-Service Personnel

For veterans or military families in transition, many organisations offer emergency and ongoing support during December and all year round.

What grants can cover:

• Energy bills and fuel vouchers
• Rent, mortgage support, or tenancy deposits
• Household appliances and repairs
• Emergency essentials (food, clothing, transport)

Key providers:

Turn2Us Grants Finder

Turn2Us runs the UK’s largest grants database, helping people in financial hardship find charitable grants they may be eligible for, including those specifically for the Armed Forces community.

What it offers:

• A searchable tool to locate crisis funds, hardship grants, and welfare charities
• Many Armed Forces-linked grants (e.g., regimental charities, RBL, service funds)
• Support for dependants, widows/widowers, and carers
• Non-repayable grants (no credit checks, no impact on benefits)

Help for Heroes Welfare Support

Help for Heroes provides hardship grants and welfare support — particularly for wounded, injured, and sick veterans, as well as their families.

What they offer:

• Immediate hardship payments for urgent needs
• Grants for equipment, home adaptations, mobility aids
• Support with debt, wellbeing, long-term illness, and family pressures
• Structured recovery and wellbeing programmes
• Advocacy when veterans struggle with the benefits or healthcare systems

Walking With The Wounded (WWTW) 

WWTW focuses on stabilising the lives of veterans who are at risk of homelessness, unemployment, or poor mental health.

Support areas:

• Help accessing safe, stable housing
• Assistance with tenancy, deposits, and preventing eviction
• Employment support, CV help, and training grants
• Mental health support, including talking therapies
• Long-term support for veterans with complex needs

Poppy Factory

The Poppy Factory specialises in employment for veterans who have long-term health conditions, mental illness, physical injuries, or barriers to work.

They provide:

• One-to-one employment support
• Coaching, confidence-building, CVs, and interview prep
• Help finding sustainable jobs that suit individual abilities
• Ongoing support once in employment
• Links to employers who are Forces-friendly

Although not a grant provider, the Poppy Factory offers life-changing financial stability through employment.

Low or No-Cost Ways to Reduce Bills

Small changes can make a significant difference:

Try these quick wins:

• Keep radiators clear (better heat flow = lower bills)
• Use draft excluders around doors/windows
• Wash at 30°C
• Close curtains at sundown to retain heat
• Use heated blankets / hot water bottles instead of whole-room heating
• Switch to LED bulbs and turn off standby appliances

💡 Energy experts say turning down your thermostat by just one degree can save significant amounts each year.

Switching & Supplier Discounts for the Armed Forces Community

Some suppliers offer Forces-friendly deals, seasonal incentives or more flexible support — but they’re not always visible on comparison sites.

Here’s where to look:

1. Check the Defence Discount Service (DDS)

DDS often includes:

• Switching incentives
• Bill credits or gift-card bonuses
• Discounts on boiler cover and home services

Forces Families: Your December Survival Guide (Free Support, Low-Cost Festivities, Simple Ways to Stay Connected)

2. Check suppliers who’ve signed the Armed Forces Covenant

These companies often provide:

• Priority customer support
• More flexible payment plans
• Specialist help for families during deployments
• Hardship pathways for veterans

Search Troopr and filter by energy/utility companies.

3. Compare tariffs — then contact suppliers directly

After running a comparison:

1. Screenshot your best tariff
2. Call the supplier
3. Ask:
4. “Do you offer any military discounts?”
5. “Are there Forces-friendly payment options?”
6. “Do you have switching incentives not shown on comparison sites?”

4. Look out for seasonal offers

Suppliers and their charity partners sometimes run:

• Smart-meter installation credits
• Winter bill-support schemes
• Fuel-voucher partnerships
  Discounted boiler cover

These offers change regularly, so rechecking every few months is smart.

Support exists to help military families stay warm, stable, and secure this winter. Whether you're adjusting to civilian life, managing deployment, or rebuilding after a tough year, you're not expected to face these pressures without help.

Mental Health Support (Open 24/7 Over Christmas)

NHS data shows timely support reduces crisis escalation, especially during isolation or transition but please remember you are not alone. A range of dedicated and general support services are available 24/7, including throughout the Christmas period, for veterans, serving personnel, and their families:

• Combat Stress Helpline: Provides confidential 24/7 advice and support for veterans and their families. (Call 0800 138 1619)

General support services also available 24/7:

• Samaritans: Confidential emotional support for anyone in distress (Call 116 123).
• Shout: Free, confidential text service for immediate crisis support (Text "SHOUT" to 85258).
• NHS Mental Health Crisis Support: Call 111, option 2, for connection to a mental health professional.

👉 Troopr’s Mental Health Resources and Support 

Winter can be tougher for Armed Forces families, but you’re not expected to face it alone. From energy discounts and government schemes to Forces-only grants, housing help, and 24/7 mental health support, there’s real assistance available right now. Most support takes only minutes to apply for, and much of it goes unclaimed each year. Reaching out early can make a huge difference.

Troopr is here to help you find the right resources quickly, stay warm, manage costs, and feel supported throughout the season.

You’re not alone this winter — and help is always available when you need it.