MSE News: Don't miss out on Warm Front heating grants

mcculloch29

Perhaps you missed this bit on the site:-
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.
That is fairly clear, I think. If you are not sure, apply anyway.

chocolady

Hi there

I was assessed for a grant in 2006 and had some minor rubber draft insulation applied. The assessor said now that I qualified I had a pot of grant money in the account under my name and (as I had expressed concerns about my temperamental boiler) if I should need the boiler replaced in the future then it would be there for me. The gas board will not sign off my boiler as safe now so I called the warm front team. They told me that I dont qualify under the new criteria and I told them that I had already applied and the information I was told by the assessor at the time. My circumstances have not changed since my original application. The lady told me that the government had cut all the grants and I had to reapply. I asked her where it said this. She said she didnt know but I wouldnt get the money anyway. I also rang the government department who were searching for the wording that said I needed to reapply under the new criteria and they couldnt find it either. I am disabled with a child in full time education and divorced so would like to know where I stand. The young lady also said if I rang the energy saving trust there would be many grants I available there. She gave me the number and I telephoned them and they said there werent any. On Warm Fronts website it says they must give you accurate and not misleading information. I am afraid that hasnt been the case at all for me. I am still waiting to see the wording that says I need to reapply and requalify for the money I was told I had in my warm front account. I will also point out that when I asked this simple question I was met with a fairly hostile response when the answer could not be provided which is not the way to deal with people.

maddence

I have today contacted warm front with no help at all.....a few years ago they put storage heaters in for us...they are now no longer any use. I rang to see if I could apply for central heating as my husbands disability is much worse...they said no...can only do like for like...eg storage heaters again. I have made over 30 calls todays and cannot find anywhere to help with a grant for a central heating system ans we don't have any.