Warm Home Discount Scheme 2022 - confusing info

Spoonie_Turtle

MalMonroe said:

The criteria seem to change every year - a couple of years ago I was eligible (as a pensioner on a low income but not eligible to claim pension credits) for the WHD in the wider group but now I'm apparently too wealthy to even bother claiming (my circumstances haven't changed at all). 

The statutory criteria remained the same from the beginning of the scheme until this year.  The criteria that potentially changed were suppliers' discretionary criteria for the broader group.  [A bit like how there are statutory criteria for bus passes and then some councils vary what exactly counts as evidence of automatic entitlement, but suppliers could change the discretionary criteria every year if they wanted.]

However this year for England and Wales it has completely changed.  (In Scotland the property data is not available to run the scheme that way.)  It's not anticipated to change again now for several years at least; the only thing that it's been said will be updated are the income thresholds for Tax Credits.

OhWow

Jude57 said:

KxMx said:

The scheme has changed this year.

There will be no application process for the wider group, the criteria is a means tested benefit and "high energy costs" made up of various bits of data, it will all be done behind the scenes by data matching and anyone judged to be eligible will be contacted. Any appeals process will be outside the energy company.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6370679/warm-homes-discount/p1

Unfortunately, it looks as though I'm unlikely to qualify, despite my circumstances not having changed but of course, I was always in the discretionary group so as schemes change, so does entitlement. I think there'll be a lot of disappointed former recipients of WHD.

And likely some very happy people who didn't know they could get WHD and now get it automatically: thinking of all the years they have missed before as they didn't know about this?  Or who knew, but they didn't manage to be one of the "first come first serve", but under this new system they get WHD?

Spoonie_Turtle

OhWow said:

Jude57 said:

KxMx said:

The scheme has changed this year.

There will be no application process for the wider group, the criteria is a means tested benefit and "high energy costs" made up of various bits of data, it will all be done behind the scenes by data matching and anyone judged to be eligible will be contacted. Any appeals process will be outside the energy company.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6370679/warm-homes-discount/p1

Unfortunately, it looks as though I'm unlikely to qualify, despite my circumstances not having changed but of course, I was always in the discretionary group so as schemes change, so does entitlement. I think there'll be a lot of disappointed former recipients of WHD.

And likely some very happy people who didn't know they could get WHD and now get it automatically: thinking of all the years they have missed before as they didn't know about this?  Or who knew, but they didn't manage to be one of the "first come first serve", but under this new system they get WHD.

Yes, but there will be MANY disappointed who used to qualify on the basis of disability benefits, or low income but just above the means-tested benefits thresholds.

Pros and cons, that's for sure.

OhWow

Spoonie_Turtle said:

OhWow said:

Jude57 said:

KxMx said:

The scheme has changed this year.

There will be no application process for the wider group, the criteria is a means tested benefit and "high energy costs" made up of various bits of data, it will all be done behind the scenes by data matching and anyone judged to be eligible will be contacted. Any appeals process will be outside the energy company.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6370679/warm-homes-discount/p1

Unfortunately, it looks as though I'm unlikely to qualify, despite my circumstances not having changed but of course, I was always in the discretionary group so as schemes change, so does entitlement. I think there'll be a lot of disappointed former recipients of WHD.

And likely some very happy people who didn't know they could get WHD and now get it automatically: thinking of all the years they have missed before as they didn't know about this?  Or who knew, but they didn't manage to be one of the "first come first serve", but under this new system they get WHD.

Yes, but there will be MANY disappointed who used to qualify on the basis of disability benefits, or low income but just above the means-tested benefits thresholds.

Pros and cons, that's for sure.

But they would have been getting the WHD every year, while those on a MUCH lower income than they have (the two groups I mentioned above) were not getting WHD. 

Spoonie_Turtle

OhWow said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

OhWow said:

Jude57 said:

KxMx said:

The scheme has changed this year.

There will be no application process for the wider group, the criteria is a means tested benefit and "high energy costs" made up of various bits of data, it will all be done behind the scenes by data matching and anyone judged to be eligible will be contacted. Any appeals process will be outside the energy company.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6370679/warm-homes-discount/p1

Unfortunately, it looks as though I'm unlikely to qualify, despite my circumstances not having changed but of course, I was always in the discretionary group so as schemes change, so does entitlement. I think there'll be a lot of disappointed former recipients of WHD.

And likely some very happy people who didn't know they could get WHD and now get it automatically: thinking of all the years they have missed before as they didn't know about this?  Or who knew, but they didn't manage to be one of the "first come first serve", but under this new system they get WHD.

Yes, but there will be MANY disappointed who used to qualify on the basis of disability benefits, or low income but just above the means-tested benefits thresholds.

Pros and cons, that's for sure.

But they would have been getting the WHD every year, while those on a MUCH lower income than they have (the two groups I mentioned above) were not getting WHD. 

Indeed - like I said, pros and cons.

At least the £150 will go further for those who qualify than it would have done had the Ofgem price caps come into force!

gbhxu

Remember every bill will be credited with £400 over 6 months
(October & November £66 each month. December, January, February and March it will be £67 each month)

poppy12345

gbhxu said:

(October & November £46 each month. December, January, February and March it will be £47 each month)

Not sure if that's a typo but the payments are £66 in October/Nov and £67 from Dec to March.

[Deleted User]

OhWow said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

OhWow said:

Jude57 said:

KxMx said:

The scheme has changed this year.

There will be no application process for the wider group, the criteria is a means tested benefit and "high energy costs" made up of various bits of data, it will all be done behind the scenes by data matching and anyone judged to be eligible will be contacted. Any appeals process will be outside the energy company.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6370679/warm-homes-discount/p1

Unfortunately, it looks as though I'm unlikely to qualify, despite my circumstances not having changed but of course, I was always in the discretionary group so as schemes change, so does entitlement. I think there'll be a lot of disappointed former recipients of WHD.

And likely some very happy people who didn't know they could get WHD and now get it automatically: thinking of all the years they have missed before as they didn't know about this?  Or who knew, but they didn't manage to be one of the "first come first serve", but under this new system they get WHD.

Yes, but there will be MANY disappointed who used to qualify on the basis of disability benefits, or low income but just above the means-tested benefits thresholds.

Pros and cons, that's for sure.

But they would have been getting the WHD every year, while those on a MUCH lower income than they have (the two groups I mentioned above) were not getting WHD. 

Those qualifying this year through working tax credits/universal credit will be on far higher incomes than most of those who no longer qualify due to being on PIP and no means tested benefits.

While the deciding factor for those on means tested benefits and tax credits will be the assumption of high energy use due to home type, size and age. With no consideration of high energy use due to illness/disability. And no eligibility for people living in park homes who are often the poorest. (There is a separate scheme for park homes that buy their energy off the site owner not a energy company)

The system is now skewed to working families on tax credits/universal credit earning up to £43,000 living in larger and detached homes. At the expense of removing eligibility from ill/disabled people and those in small homes.

Spoonie_Turtle

gbhxu said:

Remember every bill will be credited with £400 over 6 months
(October & November £46 each month. December, January, February and March it will be £47 each month)

This year, yes.  Can't bank on any extra help next year.

Deleted_User said:
And no eligibility for people living in park homes who are often the poorest.

The operators of the separate Park Homes WHD currently anticipate it will continue:
"Subject to Ofgem guidance, we anticipate the Park Homes Warm Home Discount scheme will re-open again in September 2022."
https://www.parkhomeswhd.com/

[Deleted User]

Spoonie_Turtle said:

gbhxu said:

Remember every bill will be credited with £400 over 6 months
(October & November £46 each month. December, January, February and March it will be £47 each month)

This year, yes.  Can't bank on any extra help next year.

Deleted_User said:
And no eligibility for people living in park homes who are often the poorest.

The operators of the separate Park Homes WHD currently anticipate it will continue:
"Subject to Ofgem guidance, we anticipate the Park Homes Warm Home Discount scheme will re-open again in September 2022."
https://www.parkhomeswhd.com

For core group 1 pension credit yes.

Not for core group 2 means tested benefits or tax credits, and high heating costs as determined by home age and type and size. Unless they change the draft regulations.

Warm homes discount draft regulations for core group 2

 

"Households living in Park Homes are not eligible for a rebate. Many residents of Park Homes pay for their electricity supply to their site owner and are therefore not a direct customer of an electricity supplier. Meanwhile, Park Homes which are directly supplied with electricity from an electricity supplier will not be eligible under Core Group 2, as they are not sufficiently comparable to other property types and therefore, we have not been able to model and rank their energy costs in a comparable way."

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1093377/warm-home-discount-draft-eligibility-statement-2022.pdf