ICAEW has seen a text message that claims to have been sent by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The text informs the recipient that they are eligible to apply for a 2024/25 energy support grant of between £200 and £300. The recipient is asked to click on a link by a specified date to apply for the grant. The recipient is warned that, if they do apply in time, they will be deemed to have waived their entitlement to the grant.  

ICAEW believes that the text is a phishing attack. ICAEW also reminds pensioners that the entitlement to the winter fuel payment is automatic – there is no need to apply. 

On 4 June 2025, HMRC gave evidence to Parliament’s Treasury Committee in which it revealed that approximately £47m had been lost to fraudulent tax repayments in a wide-scale phishing attack. The Treasury Committee has now published a letter from HMRC in which HMRC corrects the evidence given, substituting £49m for £47m.  

In the letter, HMRC states that it analyses approximately 200bn events each month and that it prevented £1.9bn in revenue loss in 2023/2024. HMRC says it is developing a fraud prevention centre which will focus “on the continued protection, detection and response to identity-related security issues”.

HMRC’s letter was written in response to a letter from the Treasury Committee which asks 12 questions of HMRC in relation to the incident.