MSE News: More Scottish households to get £150 Warm Home Discount automatically next winter

MSE_Helen_K

Hi all, we've just published the following news story:

More Scottish households to get £150 Warm Home Discount automatically next winter

matt_drummer

Awsome.

What will that do to standing charges?

gpman

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81862529#Comment_81862529

That was my initial reaction, but here is the official Government press release on which the MSE report is presumably based:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/energy-bill-support-extended-for-millions-of-families

What is not clear is how many extra Scottish Households, if any, will be eligible for WHD. What the press release, and indeed the MSE article, simply says is that more Scottish households will automatically be entitled.

As explained therein:

"The onus has for years been on many Scottish households to get in touch with their supplier to apply for the rebate. These changes will simplify the process for the majority of those eligible for the discount in Scotland, bringing the scheme closer into line with that in England and Wales – where most recipients already get the rebate automatically."

The 250,000 extra Scottish households relates to those extra that will automatically be eligible, rather than having to apply.

There may be no change to the number ultimately eligible, but I accept there may be a small uptick in recipients as not all those eligible may actually apply. Now they'll automatically be entitled. As it is typically those on low incomes or are struggling financially that are affected, it's nice to see they are no longer being expected to 'beg' for such assistance, but rather brings them closer into line with England & Wales.

ETA: If I'm reading this correctly, there were 6 million households in the UK eligible for WHD. If I am correct, I'm not sure the financial cost of fraction of the 250k based in Scotland who were eligible, but did not apply, would have a significant affect on the SC applied to all of us.

There were an estimated almost 28 million households in the UK (excluding NI) in total in 2024

MSE_Helen_K

To respond some of the qs here. Page 5 of the Gov document on this states:

These criteria and arrangements will expand the Scottish Core Group compared to past years, allowing a larger number of rebates to be delivered through automated data matching, while maintaining an application-based Broader Group to retain the ability to reach vulnerable groups who are difficult to data match.

Note that this will not substantially alter the total budget for rebates in Scotland…

Scot_39

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81862529#Comment_81862529

Hopefully nothing - Scotland has had a ludicrous two tier system for some years - and whats worse - in the second group you have to remember to apply - in a time limited window - even if your situation remains the same.

Hopefully if anything - any small increase - might be saved by less vetting of the non automatic qualifiers.

Spoonie_Turtle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81867041#Comment_81867041

It was the same (bad) system as England and Wales, before they brought in the automatic qualification. The reason Scotland couldn't also change at the same time was they didn't hold all the information in the same way as England and Wales (because when it first changed it was based on a calculation about property characteristics). Now it's just based on qualifying through claiming benefits and property characteristics aren't needed, so I assume that's what's enabled Scotland to do it mostly automatically now as well.