Warm Home Discount Scheme Changes

Spoonie_Turtle

Auti said:

Thank you Spoonie_Turtle. I had not found the dates I get CTC and contribution ESA and rather than cope with UC (though am on no work requirement) I will wait til migration to do UC as hear a lot of scary stories about it.

I don't know if you've posted about it on the benefits board but it would be worth seeing if you'd be any better off on UC.  Obviously if not then there's no decision to make and nothing to consider, but if you would be then you could post about your specific concerns about UC and see if members over there can allay any of them. 

(If you're in the Support Group of ESA then you'd automatically have the LCWRA element on UC and they honestly completely leave you alone, after the initial appointment to verify identity and agree to 'commitments' which are literally just 'I'll let UC know if anything changes'.  If you're in the WRAG group then it may be different.)

deannagone

I think the changes to the Warm Home discount scheme has been nicely labelled so it looks on the surface as if it will benefit people and target the most in need.., but now they've introduced this 'expensive to keep warm' home criteria that has to be met (which is all a bit mysterious and reliant on figures from god knows where, assessed by god knows what).  I suspect quite a lot of people won't get it who have in the past. 

For example, I live in a 1970's built maisonette, I suppose it will be considered a flat.  Terribly cold and not a lot I can do about it (social housing - had a damp and draughts inspector round and everything the inspector said repairs should do, repairs said they couldn't do lololol so that was a waste of time).  But from that chart it looks like flats are considered in the main, easy to heat.  So I won't get WHD for the first time in years.

I won't be going onto Universal Credit until forced to. From my brief investigations it looks like people on disability benefits will lose money immediately (I have enhanced PIP, income support, child tax credits but never been brave enough to claim ESA) and in the long term when the legacy benefit adjustments are gradually phased out.  There's no winning with this transition, I don't think.  Although I welcome being corrected.  Plus so much seems to go wrong with UC.  I don't think I could cope with database.  I am quite good at using pcs but get stuck on the silliest things with new systems (I am autistic, don't do change really well). But no choice, its going to happen at some point.  Totally dreading it.  I suspect I will do something wrong and end up with no money coming in at all.

Spoonie_Turtle

deannagone said:

I think the changes to the Warm Home discount scheme has been nicely labelled so it looks on the surface as if it will benefit people and target the most in need.., but now they'd introduced this 'expensive to keep warm' home criteria that has to be met (which is all a bit mysterious and reliant on figures from god knows where, assessed by god knows what).  I suspect quite a lot of people won't get it who have in the past. 

For example, I live in a 1970's built maisonette, I suppose it will be considered a flat.  Terribly cold and not a lot I can do about it (social housing - had a damp and draughts inspector round and everything the inspector said repairs should do, repairs said they couldn't do lololol so that was a waste of time).  But from that chart it looks like flats are considered in the main, easy to heat.  So I won't get WHD for the first time in years.

They've also kicked out disability as a qualifying element, so people earning above the low income threshold and having to pay for things like adaptations, equipment, care costs, PA expenses etc. themselves, often far in excess of what PIP will cover, get no extra help.  (I know this year there's the one-off CoL payment, I mean generally speaking in ongoing years.)

Edit: I do understand why they've taken disability benefits out of it, because they're not means-tested so someone could claim it with an annual income of £100,000+ and/or hundreds of thousands in savings, but they could still have set a reasonable income threshold for disabled people not claiming means-tested benefits.

Edit 2:

deannagone said:

I won't be going onto Universal Credit until forced to. From my brief investigations it looks like people on disability benefits will lose money immediately (I have enhanced PIP, income support, child tax credits but never been brave enough to claim ESA) and in the long term when the legacy benefit adjustments are gradually phased out.  There's no winning with this transition, I don't think.  Although I welcome being corrected.  Plus so much seems to go wrong with UC.  I don't think I could cope with database.  I am quite good at using pcs but get stuck on the silliest things with new systems (I am autistic, don't do change really well). But no choice, its going to happen at some point.  Totally dreading it.  I suspect I will do something wrong and end up with no money coming in at all.

The CAB do a 'help to claim' service to help people with claiming UC online.  And you have no doubt seen that members of the benefits board are always happy to help with any UC claiming questions.  But I can appreciate not wanting to change over to an unknown and not feeling confident with online systems.

In terms of losing money, that's what the benefits calculators are there for.  When you're moved over there will be a transitional protection if the UC is a lower amount than your existing benefits, but long term yes you're right, it won't rise until the UC amount overtakes the legacy benefit amount - which with inflation over however many years it will take, means a real-terms cut.

deannagone

Yeah I have a number of conditions, including rh arthritis.  I do claim Income support and child tax credits so will fit the first part of the group 2 critera but although I dress warmly (with hugely thick dressing gown over the top as well), I am worse when cold.  I am doing ok right now paying fuel bills, but come October and January.., things are going to change.  We are going to be very cold. Like a lot of families.  Like a lot of families, I am being careful buying food which isn't easy as I can't do what I used to do years ago and visit lots of different shops to make sure I get things at lowest prices.  One shop and I'm done.

I am grateful for the payments that will be/have been made.., but the upcoming increases in costs are going to hurt.  I don't know how I will manage.  I'm so careful, but its going to get very rough.  I know the WHD (when nothing else was in place) made a big difference.  I suppose £150, while its something extra, won't make much difference if you are having to pay £5k a year.

I suspect I won't be though.  I will just be eating less and a lot less warm, I'll have to make sure my kids who are also autistic are warm somehow (one of them is 16 but is still a bit awkward about dressing warmly and has no temperature sensitivity at all.  He goes out in the freezing cold or pouring rain with me trying to force a coat on him quite happily.  He's no better in the house, then suddenly realises he's really really cold and I'm rushing around trying to get him warm again (I do check up on him a lot normally, but have occasionally missed it).

Everything is so nightmarish.  Lack of GPs/ Lack of NHS, isolation still (for some of us) and major worries about bills and food.  I know its nothing compared to what people in the Ukraine are/have gone through.., but life is getting grimmer and grimmer.

However, I've been through situations of having no money before.  I coped then, will cope now.