Winter fuel allowance

jaytop63

I recently saw on television that if you switch energy supplier that offer the warm house scheme that the government winter fuel allowance of £200 will not be paid. Is this correct because we are thinking of switching to British Gas via the Cheap Energy Club which says we could save up to £298 annually?

modsandmockers

jaytop63 wrote: »

I recently saw on television that if you switch energy supplier that offer the warm house scheme that the government winter fuel allowance of £200 will not be paid. Is this correct because we are thinking of switching to British Gas via the Cheap Energy Club which says we could save up to £298 annually?

Jay - the Winter Fuel Allowance is paid directly by DWP into your bank account irrespective of your energy supply arrangements. The Warm Homes Discount is paid by the energy suppliers and the criteria are more complicated.

If you are part of the 'Core Group' of WHD recipients, then you should have received a letter from DWP telling you that your WHD will be automatically credited to your account by whichever energy supplier you were using on the preceding 12th July (assuming, of course, that the energy supplier in question is a member of the WHD scheme - many of them are not). There is no information given about what happens if you switch supplier after 12th July but before the WHD has been credited.

Energy suppliers also have a certain amount of money which they will pay to a 'Broader Group' of WHD recipients. The difference is that you have to apply directly to the energy supplier and that different energy suppliers have different qualifying criteria. Also, energy suppliers will stop accepting Broader Group applications when they run out of money (haha).

If you have received confirmation from your supplier that you will receive WHD as part of their 'Broader Group' discretionary scheme, then you will almost certainly lose it if you are no longer a customer when the time comes for payment.

But if you are part of the Core Group then you should still receive your WHD even if you switched supplier after July 12th. I have no idea as to whether or not, or how, this actually happens.

If you switch to BG now, you will definitely receive no WHD from BG this winter (your Winter Fuel Allowance will be unaffected). If you are not certain about whether or not you are in the Core Group, then ring DWP and ask them.

jaytop63

Hi Mad Mocs

Thanks for your brilliant response. Very helpful.


Cheers Jay

p00hsticks

modsandmockers wrote: »

But if you are part of the Core Group then you should still receive your WHD even if you switched supplier after July 12th. I have no idea as to whether or not, or how, this actually happens.

According to this recent thread
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5354350

it's up to the supplier that you were with on July 12th to pay the WHD, even if you've transferred from them since then, but it may be a while before you get it...

Joyful

If you switch to BG now there is a big chance that you WILL get the WHD if you qualify. There is currently no cut off date and it only takes 17 days to change supplier.