Warm front scheme... my situation

harry112

Hi guys

I want to know if I am entitled to the warm front scheme. I have applied and have received the letter in which they will soon arrange an appointment to view my house.

My situation is as follows:

I currently live at my parents house with my wife and 3 month old child. We have recently purchased a house and are fixing it up at the moment. We plan to move into the new house within the next 2 months. The house has the old style electric heaters, I am in the process of removing these so there would be no heating at all in the house. We want to have gas central heating. My partner and I are currently on JSA.

Will the warm front technicians be a little iffy about this or will it not be a problem.

Thanks

nannytone_2

do you or your wife have a disability? do you get means tested benefit?

nannytone_2

Eligibility for the Warm Front scheme

You may be eligible for heating and insulation improvements up to £3,500


The scheme is now targeted at people on certain income-related benefits and living in properties that are poorly insulated and/or do not have a working central heating system. You must own your home or rent it from a private landlord.
The Warm Front scheme is only available in England. Other schemes are available in the rest of the UK (see ‘More useful links’).
Benefits and financial support

Eligible customers are all those awarded:

• Pension Credit or;
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance that includes a work-related activity or support component (this includes contribution based ESA customers in the support group who get an income related top up because they automatically qualify for the enhanced disability premium payable with income related ESA)

And those awarded:

• Income Support or;
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, or;
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance in the assessment phase (first 13 weeks of the claim)

Who must also have one of the following:

• a pensioner premium. or;
• a disability or severe disability premium, or;
• an award of child tax credit that also includes an element for a disabled, or severely disabled child or young person, or;
• a child under the age of five living with you

In addition to the qualifying benefits listed above, the property you live in must also be poorly insulated and/or not have a working central heating system.
If your application continues, you will then be visited by a Warm Front surveyor, who will measure the energy efficiency of your home using a Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP). The surveyor will then make recommendations on which energy efficiency improvements are most appropriate for your property.
You should be aware that the surveyor may find that the energy efficiency of your home is above the threshold required to benefit from the scheme. If this is the case you will not be provided with any recommendations and you will be left with details of where else you may be able to get energy advice and help.
The Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), is the government's recommended system for measuring the energy rating of residential properties. To be eligible for Warm Front your home must have a SAP rating of 55 or below. This is equivalent to the start of a Band D Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

rogerblack

harry112 wrote: »

We have recently purchased a house and are fixing it up at the moment. We plan to move into the new house within the next 2 months. The house has the old style electric heaters, I am in the process of removing these so there would be no heating at all in the house.

Storage heaters - if working properly, and on an appropriate tarrif can be a fairly economical method of heating.
But only if they are sized right, so that you use only the stored heat, and no 'boost' - and the tarrif you're on has a good nighttime rate, and you don't use much during the day.

kazzah60

rogerblack wrote: »

Storage heaters - if working properly, and on an appropriate tarrif can be a fairly economical method of heating.
But only if they are sized right, so that you use only the stored heat, and no 'boost' - and the tarrif you're on has a good nighttime rate, and you don't use much during the day.

I agree with Roger - our previous home had gas central heating when we moved in with a very old system ( back boiler attached to the gas fire) when tha boiler gave up we couldn't afford gas heating and had electric storage heaters fitted
I can honestly say without a hint of lying that they were the warmest source of heating we've ever had- I was at home at the time with 2 disabled children and our house was constantly warm

they took in electricity over night and gave it out all day and night and it was lovely to live in a house that was so warm
for people who are at home during the day, I think they are such an economical method of heating the house

we really missed them when we moved and if my central heating goes pete tong in this house, I would consider installing them again

tallerton

Is it me, or have I missed something?

They have bought a run down house and are still living with parents. They are renovating the house, ripping out the storage heaters and then asking Warm Front to come along and evaluate if a brand new gas heating and hot water system can be installed free of charge?

Why didn't the poster have the funds to complete the renovation? He must he realised what was going to be needed.

If this can be done, then I can see a way of buy to let homes, being renovated using grants and Warm Front money and then let out to make an income. The property itself then being also a very saleable asset.

I cannot see that this could happen, surely not!

I can understand someone living in a house for years that does not have adequate heating etc being given a grant, but not to someone who is hoping to renovate a newly aquired property at the expense of the poor old taxpayer. Has the country gone mad???

bunny999

How do you buy a house if you are on JSA ?

harry112

tallerton wrote: »

Is it me, or have I missed something?

They have bought a run down house and are still living with parents. They are renovating the house, ripping out the storage heaters and then asking Warm Front to come along and evaluate if a brand new gas heating and hot water system can be installed free of charge?

Why didn't the poster have the funds to complete the renovation? He must he realised what was going to be needed.

If this can be done, then I can see a way of buy to let homes, being renovated using grants and Warm Front money and then let out to make an income. The property itself then being also a very saleable asset.

I cannot see that this could happen, surely not!

I can understand someone living in a house for years that does not have adequate heating etc being given a grant, but not to someone who is hoping to renovate a newly aquired property at the expense of the poor old taxpayer. Has the country gone mad???

I dont see what the problem is. I bought a house which needs modernising top to bottom including electrics and heating. I have a 3 month old child and I am on benefits. Why is this a problem? I am not looking to let this house out. I lost my job shortly after getting the house.

The electric heaters are really old and the house is poorly insulated.

Does anybody think that I am doing something dodgy here because I am not.

baza52

It looks like you are removing the elecric heaters to qualify.
"In addition to the qualifying benefits listed above, the property you live in must also be poorly insulated and/or not have a working central heating system."

Why remove the heaters and leave yourself without heating?
If you dont get the grant your gonna be stuffed when the colder weather comes.

nannytone_2

if warm front do agree to install heating, be prepared for a wait.

there is lots of oustanding work from last year that hasnt yet been completed.

tallerton

harry112 wrote: »

I dont see what the problem is. I bought a house which needs modernising top to bottom including electrics and heating. I have a 3 month old child and I am on benefits. Why is this a problem? I am not looking to let this house out. I lost my job shortly after getting the house.

The electric heaters are really old and the house is poorly insulated.

Does anybody think that I am doing something dodgy here because I am not.

So, I accept you are out of work not because of your own doing.

But you are renovating a house, and by taking out the current heating plan are hoping/expecting somebody to come up with £3600 to cover the cost of a new gas system.

And you think that that is acceptable?

So what would be stopping me funding someone on a means tested benefit (say one of my daugthers), to buy a run down shell for say £300,000, (there is such a property down the road from me - http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-19214400.html

then asking the country to fund the renovation, so that she and her family could move into it and have an asset worth in excess of £600,000?

I don't think so do you?

It's not what the system is for is it?