Warm Home Discount

oldboy64

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

- it, the WHD is not awarded for age, illness or disability, but for being 'fuel poor'
- you are correct they don't get this tariff designed for the fuel poor, because they are not classed as fuel poor
- sorry my friend they are the 2010-2014 rules

- what level of a DLA award for care or mobility is severely ?

- are for the 'broader' group, the GOV decides how poor you are for the core group

The Core Group:

aged under 75 and receiving only the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (and do not receive Savings Credit)


or

• aged 75 or over and are receiving the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (even if you get Savings Credit
• Income Support
• Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance

or, if the following statement applies you may also qualify

• Your total gross household income is less than £16,190

We are both under 75 but we get £2 a week Savings Credit as well as £114 a week Guaranteed Pension Credit

We are covered by the following (in red)

In addition to the above you must also meet at least one of the following criteria:

• • Have a child who was under 5 on the 1st of April 2013 permanently living in the house (born on or after 1 April 2008)
  • Have a child entitled to free school meals
  • Receive Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit which includes a disability element or severe disability element, disabled child element or severely disabled child element or family element
  • Income Related Benefit which includes a disabled child premium, disability premium, severe disability premium or enhanced disability premium
  • Income Related Benefit which includes a Carers Premium
  We get Guaranteed Pension Credit which includes the severe disability premiums (couple) and also have the Carers Premium for both of us.
  
  
  
  • Employment Support Allowance which includes a Work Related or Activity Component or Support Component
  • Receive Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit or Attendance Allowance
  I receive DLA HRM & MRC and my wife gets AA at the highest day & night rate
• • Be aged 62 or over
  Both of us are over this age
  
  
  
  • Receives exemption from NHS prescription chargesas well)

We have claimed under this broader group since the Warm Home started and never received anything. I could put in a claim now for next winter but based on past experience it will be a waste of time and energy filling out the forms.

Richie-from-the-Boro

oldboy6,

- you are not poor enough to pre-qualify as fuel poor
- if you were, you would be [DWP passported] core group who have a legal right to support
- broader group is for those who need to 'bid' for extra help if there's any money left and have who have no legal right to support
- if you are not winning in the broader 'bid' process, you are :
- - not poor enough to qualify as fuel poor, or
- - putting your bid in too late, and there is no money left in that years suppliers allocation

Pre qualify core group.
The DWP computer automatically notifies participating suppliers of your households legal right to the core group. It does this even if you do not and have never applied. How it does this within the data protection rules I'll leave blank.

[STRIKE]Andy[/STRIKE]

oldboy64

Nada666 wrote: »

But almost none of the tariffs for 'vulnerable' customers were market leading cheapest tariffs. Any of them could choose a cheaper tariff themselves and save money that way.

.

Not true at all!

The Scottish Power one was fantastic. It guaranteed never to have a price rise. from 08 to 12 the cost never went up.

Even today the cost of both electricity and gas is a minimum of 30% cheaper per unit than anything else that is on the market.

Electricity is charged at 9.512p per kwh + standing charge of 12.64 a day

Gas is charged at 2.960p per kwh + standing charge of 14.480p a day.

Compare that to their cheapest being offered today - it is 35% higher!!

oldboy64

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

oldboy6,

- you are not poor enough to pre-qualify as fuel poor
- if you were, you would be [DWP passported] core group who have a legal right to support
- broader group is for those who need to 'bid' for extra help if there's any money left and have who have no legal right to support
- if you are not winning in the broader 'bid' process, you are :
- - not poor enough to qualify as fuel poor, or
- - putting your bid in too late, and there is no money left in that years suppliers allocation

Pre qualify core group.
The DWP computer automatically notifies participating suppliers of your households legal right to the core group. It does this even if you do not and have never applied. How it does this within the data protection rules I'll leave blank.

[STRIKE]Andy[/STRIKE]

That's the answer then - I do qualify for the broader group and always have, but never received anything.

Like now, because we receive about £104 a year in savings credit we lose the £140 Warm Home payment for the core group.

So is it first come first served with the broader group or do they just pick a number?

I don't normally apply until nearer to the winter although I did notice that the 2013/14 opened at the end of June 2013.

Serious question - given that we have never had a payment and always qualified - is it still worth applying for this year or will I be wasting my time?

Richie-from-the-Boro

Because as I've explained the broader group is essentially a pot of grab it while you can dosh from the suppliers, their individual criteria for each [see here] decide (1) who even gets on their list, who (2) then gets or does not get it is down to their individual selection criteria, but as far as I'm aware its usually first come first served. Will you - won't you get broader group - I've no idea !
[STRIKE]Andy[/STRIKE]

oldboy64

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

Because as I've explained the broader group is essentially a pot of grab it while you can dosh from the suppliers, their individual criteria for each decide (1) who even gets on their list, who (2) then gets or does not get it is down to their individual selection criteria, but as far as I'm aware its usually first come first served. Will you - won't you get broader group - I've no idea !
[STRIKE]Andy[/STRIKE]

Thanks, that I understand.

So even though we qualify on quite a few of the broader group categories as well as the core one of low income there is no guarantee that we would get any help.

Thanks - just don't see the point in applying again - got nothing before so presumably will get nothing this time round.

Joyful

oldboy64

Double check your suppliers Broader group. For British Gas customers if they are over 62 and the household income is less than £16190 then they would qualify.

oldboy64

Joyful wrote: »

oldboy64

Double check your suppliers Broader group. For British Gas customers if they are over 62 and the household income is less than £16190 then they would qualify.

Thanks for that, Scottish Power also has the same but it has never resulted in a payment from them. I am 64 and my wife is 69



We also qualify under

• Income Related Benefit (Guaranteed Pension Credit) which includes a double disability premium and a double severe disability premium
• Income Related Benefit (Guaranteed Pension Credit) which includes a Carers Premium
• Receive Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance

but none of those make us eligible for a payment either.

Joyful

I think you need to speak to Scottish Power and see where the problem is. Even if someone is assessed and qualifies, if they do not give the correct paperwork of income when asked they would miss out.

If you are being told on assessment day that you do not qualify you need to ask why?

mrsyardbroom

macman wrote: »

Strange. My mother is registered disabled, and none of those factors apply to her. Some disabilities might produce these effects, but it's certainly not automatic.

I don't see why it's so strange. What is odd about disability costing more? My mother was also disabled and she found it an expensive business as well although her needs were different to ours. The thing is, we are on a means tested benefit but I don't see that benefit listed. According to the list in the leaflet we received you can get the Warmer Home Discount if you claim DLA but not if you get Attendance Allowance. My brother-in-law is able to claim DLA. It's much more than the Attendance Allowance and so presumably he would be able to claim the discount but we could not. He has a huge pension from work and he is very well off indeed so I can't quite see where they are coming from with this one.