Government householder grant

linden65

I was optimistic when the government announced grants for home improvements etc were going to be made available. My daughter has been made redundant but luckily got a supermarket Job in lockdown. She took possession of her first home just before lockdown so she's had a lot to deal with. The home needs everything doing to it so these grants were going to be a godsend (or so we thought). It seems that although she's on a 25 hour weekly contract this makes her exempt from the grants. You have to be on a benefit but it appears as she's working she doesn't qualify for a thing. Even help towards a boiler in a house that has no central heating would've been a massive help. Does anyone have any advice? 

SpreadableToast

There currently aren't any grants for people who are working as far as I'm aware.

If you're referring to the ones that were announced last month, you can't apply for it yet but they won't cover "normal" boilers they cover heat pumps and solar heating and someone who is working will have to contribute 1/3 of the cost (more if the total cost is over £7500)

gary83

The grants aren’t that helpful for most people, although you don’t need to be on benefits to claim them, for instance you can get new double or triple glazing and get the government subsidy but only if your house only had single glazing before. New boilers are excluded as are solar panels that generates electricity. It’s mainly going to benefit people that are living in homes that haven’t been modernised/updated for years so need new cavity wall/loft/underfloor insulation or Double glazing fitted for the first time. Worth having a quick read of the guide;

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/07/homeowners-to-receive-p5-000-vouchers-to-improve-energy-efficien/?_ga=2.150026294.1215374747.1596001993-1313553642.1583589716

On the plus side for your daughter she bought the house before lockdown, she was aware of the work that needed doing and the money that needed spending to get the house up to her standards - that hasn’t changed, when she bought the house she didn’t think she’d get a government subsidy to do those works, she likely still isn’t going to get any free money so she’s in the same position as she was in March, She hasn’t lost out.

dunstonh

The home needs everything doing to it so these grants were going to be a godsend (or so we thought). It seems that although she's on a 25 hour weekly contract this makes her exempt from the grants.

The New Green Homes grant would not be affected by that.

You have to be on a benefit but it appears as she's working she doesn't qualify for a thing.

Which grant are you referring to?   The Coronavirus new green homes grant doesnt require you to be on benefits.

for instance you can get new double or triple glazing and get the government subsidy but only if your house only had single glazing before.

There has been a bit of backtracking now more detail is available.  We were hoping to use it to replace some of our single pane windows.  However, we will not have enough to spend in primary measures to qualify for secondary measures (which double glazing comes under)

DCFC79

OP I suggest you wait for the scheme to be available to see what the qualifying criteria is.

jicms

Another irritating scheme that probably won't cover us for anything.  We have over 30 year-old drafty double glazing and boiler, the two things we need to replace.  Perhaps we could rip out the windows and put plastic in their place and say we don't have double glazing!   I don't want to be a guinea pig for these new heating schemes.

Grumpy_chap

Heat pumps are proven technology.
I am not sure what the government mean by solar heating?  Can I get solar PV and then use that to power a heat pump?  That would be energy efficiency.

dunstonh

Perhaps we could rip out the windows and put plastic in their place and say we don't have double glazing!

It wouldn't matter if you did.  You have to spend on the primary list first before you qualify for anything on the secondary list.  and you cannot gain more on the secondary list that you gained on the primary. Which really waters the whole thing down.

linden65

It's frustrating when someone could really do with some support. Shes not claiming benefits she went out and got herself a job. A boiler is essential and along with radiators the grant would've been a massive help for her. There's no heating at all in the property. Awful double glazing but alas it's 'double' glazing. 

gary83

linden65 said:

It's frustrating when someone could really do with some support. Shes not claiming benefits she went out and got herself a job. A boiler is essential and along with radiators the grant would've been a massive help for her. There's no heating at all in the property. Awful double glazing but alas it's 'double' glazing. 

Don’t let yourself get frustrated, Claiming benefits are irrelevant in this scheme. She bought the property before COVID-19,  she knew that the house had no heating and she’d have to pay to install it, that hasn’t changed other than a faint glimmer of hope that was quickly extinguished once the details of the scheme were released. How was she planning on paying for the boiler when she bought the house? If there’s no heating and awful double glazing was the house priced to reflect this?

linden65

gary83 said:

linden65 said:

It's frustrating when someone could really do with some support. Shes not claiming benefits she went out and got herself a job. A boiler is essential and along with radiators the grant would've been a massive help for her. There's no heating at all in the property. Awful double glazing but alas it's 'double' glazing. 

Don’t let yourself get frustrated, Claiming benefits are irrelevant in this scheme. She bought the property before COVID-19,  she knew that the house had no heating and she’d have to pay to install it, that hasn’t changed other than a faint glimmer of hope that was quickly extinguished once the details of the scheme were released. How was she planning on paying for the boiler when she bought the house? If there’s no heating and awful double glazing was the house priced to reflect this?

You're absolutely right. It was just a glimmer of hope at the initial announcement. She's on a lesser paid job now but us parents will be helping as much as we can.