Warm Home Discount Scheme update provides details on who may need to claim £150 help | Personal Finance | Finance
The Government issued an update to the Warm Home Discount stating that it will contact eligible households to let them know whether they’ll get it automatically or what they need to do in order to claim it. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) confirmed that letters of automatic participation in the scheme will only be sent out to eligible households. Eligible households include those who are in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee Credit and their energy supplier is part of the scheme.
This group is known as “core group one”.
Low-income households with high energy bills, known as “core group two” however will now need to check if they qualify directly with their energy supplier on how they can apply.
The Government stated that there would also be an online eligibility checker to help people check if they may qualify.
On the update, Graham Stuart MP, Energy Minister said: “From this winter, the Government will reform the Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales.
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“The Government is writing to households who are eligible to receive a rebate automatically, as well as households who need to call a helpline to determine if they are eligible.
“There will be an online eligibility checker to help people understand if they may be eligible, and the Government is sharing information on the new scheme with energy suppliers and charities.”
The Warm Home Discount was introduced by the UK Government in 2011 to help eligible customers in Scotland, England and Wales with their energy bills during the winter.
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The money is not paid directly to a person, it’s a one-off discount on their electricity bill, between October 2022 and March 2023.
The money is paid directly by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to energy suppliers and deducted from electricity bills.
While the UK Government and Ofgem, the energy regulator, make decisions on which households qualify and how much people will get, energy suppliers including British Gas, EDF, Scottish Power, SSE, E.on, Octopus, Shell and Utilita, fund it.
Households which could be eligible as part of core group two could include those who claim certain means-tested benefits from the DWP.
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According to the government’s website, qualifying benefits for the Warm Home Discount include those who claim Housing Benefit, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support, and Universal Credit.
People claiming working tax credits or child tax credits may also be eligible for the Warm Home Discount.
In both eligibility groups, the DWP will make an assessment of the energy costs based on the property someone lives in.
The Department will then write to and confirm if someone is eligible from November 14, when the scheme opens for both groups, until January 2023.
People who may be eligible are being urged to check if their provider is participating in the scheme as some may open applications early.
GOV.UK has direct links to the dedicated Warm Home Discount page of every energy provider for quick access here.
People who live in park homes will have to apply for the support in a different way and the application process for this winter opened in September this year.
The scheme is available for permanent residents living in a park home in Scotland, England or Wales who pay their electricity bills directly to their park site owner.
The Government noted that applications for this will be considered on a first come first serve basis.
In response to a parliamentary question yesterday, Mr Stuart said: “The Government has expanded and reformed the Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales to target fuel poverty better, provide the majority of the rebates automatically, and standardise the eligibility across all participating energy suppliers.
“Over three million households will receive a rebate this winter.”
“Energy suppliers can provide additional support to households through the Industry Initiatives portion of the scheme, through measures such as financial assistance, debt write-off, benefit entitlement checks, energy advice, and energy efficiency.”
