Core group or Broader group?

cinch

Hallo,


I am going to change energy company in the next few days.


I will be getting a pension with pension credit in January next year and I am wondering whether I should apply for the Broader group discount now as soon as applications are open or wait till I get my pension and get my Core group discount then.


Thanks for your help.

stewie_griffin

The cut off date for the core group is normally some time in July so this year you'll definitely need to apply for the broader group.

cinch

Thanks, the qualifying date for the Core group discount is 7 July.


I am thinking of switching to Avro and I will be with them on 7 July next year, isn't Avro responsible for my Core group discount for winter 2019/20?

bengal-stripe

cinch wrote: »

I am thinking of switching to Avro and I will be with them on 7 July next year, isn't Avro responsible for my Core group discount for winter 2019/20?

You are not qualified for the core group in the winter 2019/20 as you were not receiving Pension Credit at the cut-off date (July 7th). You will have to apply to the broader group for the coming winter.

Next year's cut-off date is (presumably) around the same time in July 2020. If you receive Pension Credit on that date, you will automatically be in the core group for winter 1920/21.

cinch

bengal-stripe wrote: »

You are not qualified for the core group in the winter 2019/20 as you were not receiving Pension Credit at the cut-off date (July 7th). You will have to apply to the broader group for the coming winter.

Next year's cut-off date is (presumably) around the same time in July 2020. If you receive Pension Credit on that date, you will automatically be in the core group for winter 1920/21.

So, for winter 2020/21 I will be getting Core group discount from a Company that I will not longer be with, since I will be switching again end of August, is that correct?

bengal-stripe

cinch wrote: »

So, for winter 2020/21 I will be getting Core group discount from a Company that I will not longer be with, since I will be switching again end of August, is that correct?

You will be in the 1920/21 core group if you fulfil the qualification (Pension Credit) on the cut-off date, which is presumably early July 1920. You will receive the credit from the supplier you were registered with on that date.

I don't know what will happen if you change supplier again in August 1920 and whether the credit is supplied by the old or the new supplier (presuming both suppliers are participating in the program). You'll have to decide if the possibility that neither supplier feels bound and you potentially miss-out on £140 is worth taking the risk.

Smodlet

I have just had all this, having switched supplier on 25th July. It took a few phone calls and the usual responsibility-ducking, buck-passing BS but I finally found someone at my old supplier who knew what she was talking about; she confirmed what bengal-stripe has said:

Core group are paid by the supplier they were with on the cut-off date, this year the 7th July; last year it was 8th so I'm going out on a limb and saying next year it will be 5th July since all those dates are Sundays.

So, whoever is your supplier on 5th July 2020 will pay you the Core group WHD. If you want to claim it this year, before you qualify for Pension Credit, you will have to apply to your current supplier when the application process opens for this year.