Is there any other option?

wajoda2002

Hi,

My mum applied last year for central heating to be fitted in her rented flat which she was granted in December 2010, as she has electric storage heaters which she cannot afford to run
However now the whole benefits system has changed, she has just been told that she is no longer entitled to it as she is on incapacity rather than ESA (also 9 year old brother lives in the property). DWP have informed her that the switch could take upto 2014 to do.

I have googled heating grant and filled in lots of forms, however no one has come back to us.

Would warm front have to honor this as my mum has it in writing or can they just literally pull the plug?

I have posted on the utilities as well as we have priced up that gas heaters are going to be cheapest to run this winter

Thanks

[Deleted User]

afraid they can pull the plug/change the rules,last i heard they have now run out of money till next april anyway
as for the change to esa it will take place when her current ib claim expires
as for other grants i`d talk to her mp see if he/she is aware of anything?

paddedjohn

She should be getting her landlord to install it, it is their property after all that is being improved.

[Deleted User]

paddedjohn wrote: »

She should be getting her landlord to install it, it is their property after all that is being improved.

and thats helpful how?
some private LLs simply dont have 3-4k to install central heating,thats why warm did/would/could do it for them if the tenant qualified,sadly the rules have changed and the financing been hit hard.

chris1973

She should be getting her landlord to install it, it is their property after all that is being improved.

Any landlord who has had their property trashed / neglected by any previous tenants may beg to differ with you on the point of 'improvement'.

As far as i'm aware the rules only stipulate that the property has to have some kind of working heating fitted, it doesn't stipulate that it has to be affordable, or the most efficient, this is down to the tenant to ascertain before they committ to rent the property, assuming the heaters have been there longer than they have.

After all, what is affordable to one person, may be a financial mill stone to the next....

Besides there is no suggestion that the existing heating isn't adequate for the size of property or that it doesn't work, the statement from the OP states that the Tenant CANNOT AFFORD to run it, and how exactly is this the fault of the landlord?.

as she has electric storage heaters which she cannot afford to run

skater_kat

yes warm front usually only do the work if the heating is not working and needs replacing, or there is no heating, or you have something like an oil fire in one room. i am suprised that having electric heating she got that far in her application. warm front will prioritise the most needy cases and this is not one in their eyes.

MissMoneypenny

wajoda2002 wrote: »

I have posted on the utilities as well as we have priced up that gas heaters are going to be cheapest to run this winter

I think her best option would be rent a flat that has gas central heating. If she is on welfare, she may be able to get help from her council for a deposit for the new property.