Warm home discount rejection help understanding why 21 February at 4:21PM in Benefits & tax credits 20 replies 896 views

grimmyth

I’ve just gone through the process of trying to get the Warm Home Discount. I used to get it but each year the government has made it harder to receive. 

This year your home needs to meet certain requirements aswell as you. I did the online check where they use EPC reports to check (I didn’t have an EPC report but the online checker said use a similar house) and used my next door neighbours house as it’s the same house essentially and the checker said I was eligible so I phoned the department up. They said I needed my own report to proceed. 

I borrowed money to get a report done as I thought well I’m saving money by getting it done so it’s worth it. 

I received my report today with the exact same score as my neighbour. Only difference is my property is 6 square meters bigger than there’s due to a downstairs extension as I’m disabled. Everything else is the same though. 

I phoned them back up and it’s been rejected. I did the online check again and it was rejected with my report, but I’d still ok with my neighbour. 

I have no idea why it’s rejected and when questioned, the person I spoke to basically replied “the computer said no”

Has anyone on else been through this? Is there anything I can do?

Spoonie_Turtle

What is the floor area of your house on the EPC, how old is it and what type of property?

Increase the floor area by 14% and see where it falls in this table (or if that's a bit much brainwise, tell us the above info and one of us can find it for you).
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1115362/whd-eligibility-statement-2022-england-wales-annex-1.xlsx

What means-tested benefit do you claim?

If it turns out you really should qualify, then it's worth phoning again and/or writing, with proof of postage to show you sent the letter before the deadline.

[The checker is not infallible and we're not sure exactly how it works, but it is very weird your neighbour's house qualifies and yours doesn't even though it's larger - unless you are a mid terrace and your neighbour an end terrace, perhaps.]

grimmyth

Floor area is 86 square metres. Mid terraced and it’s built between 1950-1965 according to the checker going off my EPC. 

poppy12345

Which benefits exactly do you receive?

poppy12345

grimmyth said:

Floor area is 86 square metres. Mid terraced and it’s built between 1950-1965 according to the checker going off my EPC. 

Having just checked online and based on that information and also put you're claiming Income Related ESA (as a guess) then it says you don't qualify. You can check here. https://www.check-warm-home-discount-eligibility.service.gov.uk/region/

HillStreetBlues

The only way I can see your next door neighbour qualifying with 80sq m is if their property is entered as a semi, as it not even a end of terrace would qualify.

I don't know why a EoT and Semi are classed differently, as both have an attached property on one side only.

peteuk

Makes no sense to me, spending money to gain a benefit.  I get the report will aid you in years to come.

grimmyth

peteuk said:

Makes no sense to me, spending money to gain a benefit.  I get the report will aid you in years to come.

Because I’d have more money for my energy as the report was £50

grimmyth

HillStreetBlues said:

The only way I can see your next door neighbour qualifying with 80sq m is if their property is entered as a semi, as it not even a end of terrace would qualify.

I don't know why a EoT and Semi are classed differently, as both have an attached property on one side only.

Having looked at this once you mentioned it. My neighbour and actually another mid terraced in my street have wrongly been but in the EPC registry as semi detached. 

grimmyth

poppy12345 said:

grimmyth said:

Floor area is 86 square metres. Mid terraced and it’s built between 1950-1965 according to the checker going off my EPC. 

Having just checked online and based on that information and also put you're claiming Income Related ESA (as a guess) then it says you don't qualify. You can check here. https://www.check-warm-home-discount-eligibility.service.gov.uk/region/

Yeah looking into it my neighbour and another mid terrace in my street have wrongly been entered into the EPC as semi detached. So I was basing it on false information. I don’t see how they got it so wrong, but the surveyor was the same person. 

Robbie64

The online checker says that I qualify for the Warm Home Discount. I've never received a letter nor any payment on my energy bill (assuming EDF have made them to qualifying account holders). I'm assuming I don't qualify and the online checker isn't reliable.

It's basically a mess.