Warm home discount scheme payments

Chrysalis

I know its scary to think about, but consider going to the press at this point, if the WHD is important enough.

P-J-D_2

Bump...

As I said earlier I feel this was a con.

The system worked fine in previous years.

It seems many of us who legitimately qualified did not receive their WHD.. and 'conveniently' there is nobody accountable, no confirmation of applications were provided, no reference number, no reliable contact to chase it up...and gov, ofgem and energy companies washing their hands of it.

Any progress whatsoever from anyone who wrote to the 'complaint" address in Scotland or any other method?

Edit: Incidentally I chased up some confirmation of my application after the application period finished, but before they shut the phone lines. I was told because they couldn't match my telephone number with their 'call log' they couldn't help. (I can't remember if I phoned from a parents house etc.) No other detail eg name, address, bank detail, energy account number etc could be used to verify my application was being processed. What sort of goal would somebody have in designing such a stupid system, and again.. very 'convenient'..

kaMelo

I realise you're venting somewhat and that's understandable but despite what you suspect, it's not a con. Have you read the consultation on why the change was made?
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/warm-home-discount-better-targeted-support-from-2022

The previous system may have worked for you but that doesn't mean it worked well. The new system broadens support to hundreds of thousands more people automatically by removing the 'application' and 'first come first served' elements of the previous system.

Having said that, whilst one might have expected some teething problems the current situation where people like yourself are eligible but yet to receive any payment and seemingly have no way to chase it, up or even who to chase it up with, is simply not good enough and destroying any belief people have in the new system.

As contacting the usual places is drawing a blank I can only agree with other posters suggestions in contacting your MP to hopefully find a resolution for the previous year as well as fixing things going forwards too.

[Deleted User]

kaMelo said:

I realise you're venting somewhat and that's understandable but despite what you suspect, it's not a con. Have you read the consultation on why the change was made?
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/warm-home-discount-better-targeted-support-from-2022

The previous system may have worked for you but that doesn't mean it worked well. The new system broadens support to hundreds of thousands more people automatically by removing the 'application' and 'first come first served' elements of the previous system.

Having said that, whilst one might have expected some teething problems the current situation where people like yourself are eligible but yet to receive any payment and seemingly have no way to chase it, up or even who to chase it up with, is simply not good enough and destroying any belief people have in the new system.

As contacting the usual places is drawing a blank I can only agree with other posters suggestions in contacting your MP to hopefully find a resolution for the previous year as well as fixing things going forwards too.

The rule changes caused over 200,000 disabled people receiving warm homes discount to lose eligibility and vast numbers of very poor people with illnesses or disabilities or children living in small homes to lose eligibility. The benefit instead being shifted to large numbers of working families on UC living in larger homes.

The intent was not good, it was political, taking from those less likely to vote Conservative and giving to those more likely to vote Conservative, and ideological taking mostly from those not working and giving mostly to those in low paid employment.

The result will be more winter deaths as the ill and disabled are more vulnerable to the cold and the very poorest households least able to afford heating bills. 

Chrysalis

Deleted_User said:

kaMelo said:

I realise you're venting somewhat and that's understandable but despite what you suspect, it's not a con. Have you read the consultation on why the change was made?
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/warm-home-discount-better-targeted-support-from-2022

The previous system may have worked for you but that doesn't mean it worked well. The new system broadens support to hundreds of thousands more people automatically by removing the 'application' and 'first come first served' elements of the previous system.

Having said that, whilst one might have expected some teething problems the current situation where people like yourself are eligible but yet to receive any payment and seemingly have no way to chase it, up or even who to chase it up with, is simply not good enough and destroying any belief people have in the new system.

As contacting the usual places is drawing a blank I can only agree with other posters suggestions in contacting your MP to hopefully find a resolution for the previous year as well as fixing things going forwards too.

The rule changes caused over 200,000 disabled people receiving warm homes discount to lose eligibility and vast numbers of very poor people with illnesses or disabilities or children living in small homes to lose eligibility. The benefit instead being shifted to large numbers of working families on UC living in larger homes.

The intent was not good, it was political, taking from those less likely to vote Conservative and giving to those more likely to vote Conservative, and ideological taking mostly from those not working and giving mostly to those in low paid employment.

The result will be more winter deaths as the ill and disabled are more vulnerable to the cold and the very poorest households least able to afford heating bills. 

I came to the same conclusion after reading the consultation report, the gov effectively forced it through despite opposition from the consultation, it was also clearly targeting a specific democratic.  The algorithm used to determine high energy costs was particularly humorous conveniently ignoring EPC ratings and something that would favour multi occupation households, whilst also not distinguishing between "just about qualifying for UC" from "zero income" on low income grounds.

With that said there will be people on the lower end of the income scale qualifying for this who didnt previously so I certainly dont want to say they shouldnt get help, I think the most simple way to deal with this mess is to simply remove the high energy use requirement.  The second least messy way would be to deem anyone who lives in a EPC property of D or worse as a high energy user as well as anyone who needs to run medical equipment at home (this is in addition to the existing low income high energy users, not to replace them).

Its always been a vote winner to support families over childless households and especially over singletons.  But it doesnt have to be picking one over the other, the money needed to support both is tiny in the amount of spending going on.

Also observed the disability £150 CoL payment by coincidence matches the new WHD, I think the gov issued that knowing they had just screwed over that demographic and to keep them quiet for a couple of years.

There is also the issue of how to deal with the problem of people not been paid who were told they qualified, an advantage of ditching the high energy use requirement is that the suppliers would merely just have to contact the DWP to confirm if someone is in receipt of means tested help, which has worked fine in previous years.  The energy cost criteria has contributed to the complexity now involved.

The labour chancellor some time ago said she would bump the WHD to £500 and ditch the high energy use requirement, not sure though if thats still their policy.

yoinxadoinx

Hi, 

I might have some positive news - obviously specific to our situation.

The Subject Access Request I shared earlier https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80040269/#Comment_80040269 bore fruit, though it took a month. WHD returned the information I was missing in their response. I passed it to Scottish Power who are processing it 🤞

FusionFury

I noticed this is a bit of a lottery to get?