Missed deadline warm home discount scheme scottish power

davideo1981

Hi I'm ill and lot of things on my mind. I've missed the broader group application process for the warm home discount scheme. I'm on qutinipine for my anixety and I'm on pregabalin for my nerve damage. This effects my memory along with other things. I can send  proof of repeat prescription. I tried phone up today and some rude man said I missed out nothing he can do. I'm on income based esa and could really do with the £140 as this will be enable me to put my heating on a bit longer. I've never applied for this before as I only told by a freind the other week. I've missed out on payments that i was entitled to. I'm sure their is other people I my situation. Can Martin Lewis raise this issue on his show!

poppy12345

Unfortunately, a deadline is there for a reason. As you've now missed that deadline there's nothing more you can do. Martin Lewis doesn't post on the forums.

calcotti

davideo1981 said: I've missed out on payments that i was entitled to. 

You were eligible, which is not the same as entitled.

Muttleythefrog

Yeah sadly might have missed out. Not sure if they have any further support available... I've just been contacted by my previous supplier (Bulb) Citizens Advice partner regarding potential extra help including potential additional cash payment (around the level of WHD) or help with debts... so have a look if your supplier offers any extra help. You could always try kicking up a fuss... including threat or actual involving MP to highlight medication/disability impact on ability to have applied. I've complained in past not about timing or missing timeline for application but the speed of payment and in a couple of years ended up getting it twice via different energy companies (caused probably by switching during the year). Unrelated but I've also just received full refund twice (their error) for long train journey Re: LNER where initially they refused (their error) any compensation... so sometimes you can 'fiddle with the parameters' of these companies and get your way. Good luck.

sheramber

Scottish Power may have reached their limit of discounts  available and have therefore closed their  scheme .

https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/low-income

Your electricity supplier decides who can get the discount.

The number of discounts suppliers can give is limited. Check with your supplier as early as possible to see if you’re eligible and how to apply.

poppy12345

Muttleythefrog said:

 You could always try kicking up a fuss... including threat or actual involving MP to highlight medication/disability impact on ability to have applied.

I'm not sure what help that would be. For the broader group no one is guaranteed the money because there's a limit to the funds they have.

Muttleythefrog

poppy12345 said:

Muttleythefrog said:

 You could always try kicking up a fuss... including threat or actual involving MP to highlight medication/disability impact on ability to have applied.

I'm not sure what help that would be. For the broader group no one is guaranteed the money because there's a limit to the funds they have.

May or may not be of any use... but like I say... complaining etc can have impacts. I've even had warm home discounts from companies that were not supplying my power although in those cases I had applied before leaving and then applied to new company. I've also had compensation for various administrative failings and failings to administrate those failings by power companies...laugh. But even if they fail they may be directed to other support as I was with Bulb recently (before I left) or for next year's scheme (assuming there is one) they may have advice or administrative options that could prevent same happening or give assistance. 

They may want to look at hardship fund possibility:
https://community.scottishpower.co.uk/t5/Extra-Help/Hardship-Fund/ta-p/53

Nannytone

Unless you have a key meter, I'm not sure how you can have been credited by two companies because the Warm Home Discount is applied to your account and not a cash payment.
Surely you would have given this extra payment back as you were obviously not entitled to it

Muttleythefrog

Nannytone said:

Unless you have a key meter, I'm not sure how you can have been credited by two companies because the Warm Home Discount is applied to your account and not a cash payment.
Surely you would have given this extra payment back as you were obviously not entitled to it

• Cash payment given at post office - letter sent by old supplier months after leaving was scanned and ID supplied. I have always had credit meters. I imagine it is fairly common for people to have credit with a company (in this case a WHD) they have left and require reimbursement - indeed it is the norm when leaving an energy supplier and recently we received a cheque from Tesco Bank (account closed months ago) after a refunded card transaction. As you point to, the WHD is applied to your energy account - either that happened or couldn't but either which way they sent the value of it as they deemed owed to me.

• Current (at the time) supplier credited to energy account as normal

• I do not know if I was entitled or not but one WHD amount went to charity - the gates of hell await me (reducing the need for a WHD in future perhaps) 

• Previous instance of double payment I cannot recall detail of but assume made to bank account by old supplier as I do not have in mind any detail different

• The issue of double payment of WHD has been queried before it appears on MSE - in one case a cheque was sent by previous supplier. 

• ETA - According to OFGEM's WHD guidance to suppliers for the broader group "Generally, rebates can only be paid to a supplier’s own customers. However, if a customer approved for the rebate has switched supplier since applying, the supplier can choose whether or not to pay the rebate." It is likely this is what happened in my case - the fact they made the payment many months after I left suggests they chose to pay it - indeed they made the payment after my then current supplier did. Suppliers run their own schemes and I've only ever applied as directed and with facts/evidence requested. What do you rely on to assert that I was not entitled to any particular WHDs I've received?

• I certainly was not entitled to a double refund on recent rail tickets but that was not my error (which could have been avoided by getting decision right first time). The value of both have gone to a mental health charity in light of the fact the train cancellation was caused by a suicide on the track. Tip - if you face maladministration by a company then trying to untangle it as an outsider is an invitation for more and indeed more costs to the company.

reference https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/warm-home-discount-whd-guidance-suppliers-version-61


Sorry to op for slight derail of thread - as above look at hardship option although that looks like a bit of a frustrating process (as compared to a WHD application)  that also may have no success. If you do chalk this up to experience make sure next year to try to flag a reminder up (since I've experienced once or twice the applied for email reminders of scheme opening not arriving in timely fashion from other suppliers) every couple of weeks or so for opening of scheme likely in Autumn/winter. If you do avoid using enough heating to keep the whole accommodation warm my advice is several thin layers of clothes perhaps, heat the rooms you mainly use if possible, warm drinks. Things like microwaves actually use little power like kettles... although both use high wattage (in the case of kettles very high) they won't be on very long for heating water or food and do so efficiently. Baked potatoes (4 pack usually around 50p at supermarkets) with baked beans (tin around 25p) and some grated cheese is very filling, carbohydrate rich, hot and easily done in microwave to provide a decent meal each day or two at low cost. Breakfast cereals (fruit and fibre I like) can be filling, nutritious and very cheap with some milk of preferential type. Ideas like this might leave more of budget for the heating this winter - you may already indulge such thinking but I think food and drink is the one area of essentials to life where costs can be dramatically variant depending on choice unlike with say heating or other utility bills.

Have a great festive season!

OxBowlake

Muttleythefrog said:

poppy12345 said:

Muttleythefrog said:

 You could always try kicking up a fuss... including threat or actual involving MP to highlight medication/disability impact on ability to have applied.

I'm not sure what help that would be. For the broader group no one is guaranteed the money because there's a limit to the funds they have.

May or may not be of any use... but like I say... complaining etc can have impacts. I've even had warm home discounts from companies that were not supplying my power although in those cases I had applied before leaving and then applied to new company. I've also had compensation for various administrative failings and failings to administrate those failings by power companies...laugh. But even if they fail they may be directed to other support as I was with Bulb recently (before I left) or for next year's scheme (assuming there is one) they may have advice or administrative options that could prevent same happening or give assistance. 

They may want to look at hardship fund possibility:

Nice one ! 

It's good to know that integrity is alive and kicking. 

Muttleythefrog

OxBowlake said:

Muttleythefrog said:

poppy12345 said:

Muttleythefrog said:

 You could always try kicking up a fuss... including threat or actual involving MP to highlight medication/disability impact on ability to have applied.

I'm not sure what help that would be. For the broader group no one is guaranteed the money because there's a limit to the funds they have.

May or may not be of any use... but like I say... complaining etc can have impacts. I've even had warm home discounts from companies that were not supplying my power although in those cases I had applied before leaving and then applied to new company. I've also had compensation for various administrative failings and failings to administrate those failings by power companies...laugh. But even if they fail they may be directed to other support as I was with Bulb recently (before I left) or for next year's scheme (assuming there is one) they may have advice or administrative options that could prevent same happening or give assistance. 

They may want to look at hardship fund possibility:

Nice one ! 

It's good to know that integrity is alive and kicking. 

Have you actually read my above post (which quotes the guidance to suppliers) - I did nothing wrong and have likely received the Warm Home Discounts as appropriate. Further I even gave away one amount to charity. I have only ever made truthful and appropriately timed applications with required facts and evidence as directed by suppliers for the WHD broader scheme. Suppliers make it very clear that if you switch before receiving payment you need to apply to your new supplier for the WHD (if the scheme is still open). In my case I even received payment from the new supplier before the old!

"Generally, rebates can only be paid to a supplier’s own customers. However, if a customer approved for the rebate has switched supplier since applying, the supplier can choose whether or not to pay the rebate."

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/warm-home-discount-whd-guidance-suppliers-version-61

Since the payment was made by the previous supplier at the end of what would be the required period and many months after I left then almost certainly they chose to pay it to me having been approved before I left. They could have been in no doubt I had left - they had to make arrangements out with how I managed my account with them in order to get the payment to me. My then new supplier treated my application as normal and made payment as normal. Suppliers operate their own schemes - Bulb (before their very recent problems) assured me I'd receive the WHD for this year, even though I'd left, provided that the application was approved and I re-joined them before end March - interestingly they also advised me to make application with current supplier (which will not be doing as a) not named on bill and b) hoping not to be here when payment made).

I'm fed up of people questioning my integrity and honesty on this site (you seemed perfectly happy to ask me for my advice on a specific matter and I made some effort to provide it although I have no evidence you bothered to read it - I will now remove that advice along with, interestingly, my efforts to overcome your misunderstanding of my circumstances of the time which in retrospect seem to take on a different angle of enquiry) - and then vanishing when they are challenged. Perhaps some should look at themselves not others for failings! Other people have over the years reported receiving 2 payments (although some for the core group where I understand there are measures in place to try to prevent duplicate payments) in a 'discount year' including on MSE and for those who I have seen advised by any trustworthy source (such as CAB) the advice was keep the money. Should I contact the companies in question and determine if the payments should have been made to satisfy anyone here or are we done?