Not eligible for Warm Home Discount Scheme

lancashire-lass_2

I've been trying to sort out whether or not we are eligible for the £120 Warm Home Discount with our power supplier.
I've checked the Directgov website, and my husband gets pension credit guaranteed credit (not savings credit). His name is on our power bill and npower are in the scheme.
So I phone npower who tell me that they don't decide who gets the discount - the Pension Service decide that.
I phone the Pension Service who tell me I have to phone the Warm Home Discount Scheme as its nothing to do with them.
I phone the Warm Home Discount Scheme who tell me my husband is not eligible because he wasn't on the list sent to them from the Pension Service and to phone the Pension Service.
I phone the Pension Service and explain that my husbands name has not been notified to the Warm Home Discount Scheme - and get told that my husband isn't on their computer system, so he isn't in receipt of Pension Credit!! Oh, yes he is!!
Seems that his details have been removed from the computer and are now "clerical" records. "Sorry about that, we'll send clerical an email"
3 weeks later I chase up the Pension Service to be told that we do not qualify for the Warm Home Discount Scheme as we have too much money coming into our home.
We receive ESA (contribution based work related), Pension Credit (my husband claims for me) and my husband receives DLA higher rate for mobility and care. How can this be too much?
Sorry about the length of this but that £120 would mean a lot - it would seem that we should qualify but the paper-pushers disagree. Can anybody out there clarify this for me?? Pretty please?

gentlebloke

You're in the 'core group' and nPower should have been notified by DWP. However, they state that they will register eligible consumers if they are contacted directly. Direct number is 0800 980 5525

lancashire-lass_2

Thanks for your reply.
Unfortunately when I telephoned that number I was informed by npower that only people of pensionable age are in the core group - then I was advised to phone the Warm Home Discount Scheme!!

lithopsian

Have you called 0845 603 9439, which *should* be the specialist support line for the Warm Home Discount scheme. Sorry, I don't know if there is a non-premium alternative number.

It seems to me that various people are giving you the runaround. The criteria for the core group who should receive this discount is simply based on receiving the Guarantee Credit portion of the Pension Credit (and *not* the Saving Credit portion, although the details vary for each year or the scheme). Obviously the person receiving that credit should reside in the household, but doesn't have to be the person named on the energy bill. Age requirements also vary each year, but for this winter everyone receiving the Guarantee Credit is in the core group regardless of age. There is no check on your other income, simply if you get the Guarantee Credit.

This leaflet may help:
http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/files/2010/01/Consumer-Focus-briefing-on-the-Warm-Home-Discount-updated1.pdf