Warm Home Winter Payments

naturalkingz_2023

Blessings to you all 

A few months back  I went onto British Gas website to put in a claim for the warm home winter payment scheme. The website informed me that this had been take over by the government & that I should receive a letter from them about this, so I didn't think anymore of this. Last week I was talking with my sister & she informed that she received a letter for her warm home winter payments & that she has to call a number to claim the money, but this had to be done by the end off February 2023. As time went on I hadn't received anything from them,(the government) so I done some research & found a number to call if you hadn't received a letter, so called the number & went through the assessment over the phone, still believing that I would be entitled to this as I have been getting this for the last few years from British Gas, to my astonishment the lady on the phone told me that I wasn't entitled to this as my home is energy efficient & isn't old enough for the scheme anymore regardless of me being on benefits. THIS GOVERNMENT MAKES ME SICK, AS THEY GIVE TO YOU WITH ONE HAND & TAKE IT BACK WITH THE OTHER. How can they think that this money wouldn't be helpful during this cost of living crisis. There must be lots of people that use to obtain the warm home winter payment & no longer entitled to this anymore regardless of you being on benefits. THE STRUGGLE IS REAL out here & the government is  SOOOOO OUT OF TOUGH  with the REALITY of how people are living. GET THIS CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT OUT. THERE IDEOLOGY HAS ALWAYS BEEN FOR THE RICH TO STAY RICH. 

@moneysavingexpert, please please, please please get Martin Lewis to highlight/discuss/talk about this on his show 

Has anybody else been effected by this??


Thanks 

KxMx

Martin is on it:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6424259/warm-home-discount-minister-promises-to-look-at-complaints-after-mse-investigation#latest 

Spoonie_Turtle

Lots of people have been affected.  

The scheme for those not in Core Group 1 (people claiming the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit) is based on claiming a low-income benefit and living in a property deemed to need high energy costs - that is calculated based on property age, type and size.  It is a notional calculation, not taking into account anything about the reality of people's homes.

Many people no longer qualify due to living in smaller and younger homes.  On the other hand, many people do now qualify who didn't before - they have removed the need to have a vulnerability (disability, young child, pensioner) and replaced it with the property requirement.

Some people who should qualify have fallen through the cracks.  Did you do the online checker?  It's not infallible but if it says you might or should qualify, it would be worth investigating whether you are one of those people.  https://www.gov.uk/check-if-youre-eligible-for-warm-home-discount  (I admit I skim-read past the shouting so I'm not 100% certain what information you've already given, sorry.) 

MSE have raised the issue with the government https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6424259/warm-home-discount-minister-promises-to-look-at-complaints-after-mse-investigation#latest

ariarnia

like a lot of these things the idea behind it is 'good'. 

they took away the first come first served (which left a lot of people who were entitled missing out.
and more people in total are getting the cash now (and this year i think it's more cash but that might be a one of?) 
and i also like that the philosophy behind it is now focused on assessing need even if i dont agree with the way the criteria are worked out.  

those things i agree with. 

but the actual way it was done has been bad. theres lots of not great things but some that jump to mind are. 

the way they work out energy efficiency and send letters with no details is a blunt tool and confusing/to hard for people to work out if they qualify or not. it could be a simple on line calculator. 

and using property size and age is bad (tho i know not every property has a epc and epcs themselves arent great). i wonder if there would be a way to do it with qualifying benifit and then the average use from the supplier over winter? but that might mean lots of delays and possible problems. 

i also think theres been a big problem for people who live with others (children have come up a few times) because of the way dwp only count official 'partners' and not parents or carers who might be paying the bill for eligible dependents. 

all that said.

i think its more complicated than someone who got it for years now doesn't get it.

it might be 'useful' to get it but everyone is struggling with increased costs and everyone would find more cash 'useful' so it needs to be targeted. and if you change the way its worked out some people are going to get it who didnt before and some are going to lose it who had it before. but the important thing is if the criteria are right so the right people (the people most at need) get it or not. 

right now i dont think the criteria is right. and i think how its been communicated is deplorable. but if we want it to change then the op is not the way to go about it. 

Spoonie_Turtle

ariarnia said:

like a lot of these things the idea behind it is 'good'. 

they took away the first come first served (which left a lot of people who were entitled missing out.
and more people in total are getting the cash now (and this year i think it's more cash but that might be a one of?) 
and i also like that the philosophy behind it is now focused on assessing need even if i dont agree with the way the criteria are worked out.  

those things i agree with. 

but the actual way it was done has been bad. theres lots of not great things but some that jump to mind are. 

the way they work out energy efficiency and send letters with no details is a blunt tool and confusing/to hard for people to work out if they qualify or not. it could be a simple on line calculator. 

and using property size and age is bad (tho i know not every property has a epc and epcs themselves arent great). i wonder if there would be a way to do it with qualifying benifit and then the average use from the supplier over winter? but that might mean lots of delays and possible problems. 

i also think theres been a big problem for people who live with others (children have come up a few times) because of the way dwp only count official 'partners' and not parents or carers who might be paying the bill for eligible dependents. 

all that said.

i think its more complicated than someone who got it for years now doesn't get it.

it might be 'useful' to get it but everyone is struggling with increased costs and everyone would find more cash 'useful' so it needs to be targeted. and if you change the way its worked out some people are going to get it who didnt before and some are going to lose it who had it before. but the important thing is if the criteria are right so the right people (the people most at need) get it or not. 

right now i dont think the criteria is right. and i think how its been communicated is deplorable. but if we want it to change then the op is not the way to go about it. 

In the original consultation they specifically rejected looking at actual usage because that could favour people who use lots by choice rather than need (thermostat at 23℃, for instance - which for most people is not necessary - or constantly heating lots of water with an immersion due to lifestyle rather than choice, etc.) and hugely disadvantage people who have to use little due to the costs but could really do with the money to be able to use more in order to stay warm.

I personally think the fairest way would have been qualifying through low income plus vulnerability like before, and then if no vulnerability, by a property costs calculation.  I very much doubt that many of the disabled people or pensioners or households with very young children who previously qualified were in such a good financial position that they really didn't need it, even less so now with *every*thing costing much more.

gbhxu

Another problem with the scheme is waiting for WHD to be credited to your account.

Some companies credited accounts before customers received their WHD letter.

Eon Next took 2 months after I received my letter to credit my account.

ariarnia

gbhxu said:

Another problem with the scheme is waiting for WHD to be credited to your account.

Some companies credited accounts before customers received their WHD letter.

Eon Next took 2 months after I received my letter to credit my account.

yes. i'm thinking the same for things like the alternative fuel help. i understand why it took so long but it means people who NEED to buy there fuel in advance (like oil) have had to either find the extra cash or be cold because the payment thats supposed to help them isnt going to be paid until april. 

better than a poke in the eye but really rough for some.