Warm Home Discount Scheme

Here's a link that explains the eligibility and has a list of energy providers with links through to each of their schemes

www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/eligibility

Everything is for people on benefits nothing for those who just scrape by but can’t afford extras

The eligibility is quite complex. There is one group that get it automatically through gateway benefits but if you are not in that group but on a very low income it is worth applying.

BlueBelle, would you really rather be poorer so you didn't feel you were missing out? I have come across quite a few comments like yours but when more information is given people have been shown to be far from 'scraping by'. Can you not understand that those who have to claim because they are below the level chosen by the government will all have paid tax over the years and are just as much at the whim of the system as those who are actually a fraction above the levels where they can claim?

Why not, instead of making these negative and nasty comments, actually do some work to try and raise the pension for all to a level where all, or at least the majority of benefits, are not necessary. It is possible; other countries do it.

Everything is for people on benefits nothing for those who just scrape by but can’t afford extras

This might be negative but there’s nothing nasty about it at all.

I think, if you were on benefits Anya, it might just feel like a personal attack. Not for all but probably for some. It really is a very negative view rather than one offering any sort of solution.

Is this the " flaming" referred to in another thread?
It is new to me but then GN is the only forum I use and that is becoming less as things are going.

but hey ho!

I have a limited income but above the threshold for benefits. I know I find it hard sometimes (only put the heating on for an hour in the morning and a couple of hours in the evening). Friends who complain about "people on benefits" are under the impression that the benefits bring those peoples income above that of those not on benefits and therefore consider it unfair! I have no idea if this is the case but I would rather that than read about pensioners dying of hypothermia.

Not fair to Bluebell, what she said is said by so many people, it's what many feel.

I took BlueBelle's comment to be just that......a comment.

Surely we're all entitled to do that?

The worst part of the system Oldwomen, is that you may actually still be eligible for some benefits but once you are out of the benefit that triggers the others it is difficult to find out what benefits and if you are actually eligible. (I have tried to flag up those it may be worth applying for in the past - they will either say yes, no or partially).

It is certainly an extremely complex system that often has to be accessed when people are at their most anxious. I agree that it needs simplifying but that is nothing to do with either those who have accessed it and found they were eligible or those who have found they can't - it is to do with the system.

Is this the " flaming" referred to in another thread?

Obviously not up to your post Annsixty. The point about flaming is the comments have nothing to do with the thread - rather like yours and the 'flamer' goes on to make no contribution to the thread topic. They are only on for one purpose - to inflame the conversation. I am sure this doesn't apply to you and that you have come on to contribute to the issues around "Warm Home Discount Scheme" - as I did.

Agree, Bluebelle is entitled to her opinion and surely that's the point of a forum - to get different points if view. If people stop commenting because they get shot down there will be no point having the discussions.
That said it is possible to get the warm homes discount if you aren't on benefits but are on low income. Its worth applying.

This Warm Air discount scheme is wonderful for people such as myself. I am on Pension Credit, so get it each year. For many years, I was at home (not in paid employment), as I was acting as an unpaid carer for my husband who had MS, and also as a Foster Parent, to many young children. These days Fostering is counted as a 'proper job' paid well and stamp paid. In my day we just received very basic expenses for each child we took into our family, and no stamp paid. Although I worked prior to having children, and also again in the last few years before a rather belated retirement, this still meant I am only 'entitled' to a small proportion of the pension. So the P.Credit brings that up -and helps me with other benefits. TBH, I would gladly forgo these extras and be above the 'threshold'. Cannot understand anyone envying people like myself!!

Thankfully we live in a civilized society where there is a safety net for those whose incomes fall below a certain threshold. This is steadily being eroded, but at least it is still there.

There have to be rules and some folk will find themselves just outside the qualifying criteria. Sadly this is inevitable.

We were with British Gas and entitled due to low income, but we have just changed to EDF and their criteria is different to BG and low income is not a criteria with them, but we expect to save more having moved than staying on the BG tariff. It is a shame that each company has different criteria.

The interesting word here is " Benefits" I am now in work after being 12 months on bereavement benefit then a year and a half on Job seekers.

Thankfully I managed to secure a job at well know Supermarket (where I will be setting off to in the next half hour) I am on minimum wage working 16 hours there for I am entitled to Working Tax Credits (also classed as a "benefit" this is because of the situation I have now been forced into.

I to have applied and received the help that vqueen mentions, I rec it last year and have just applied for this year because I am in the low income bracket.

I think once the word "benefit" is mentioned it conjures up all sorts of stories and what we have seen /heard on various tv programs. If I wasn't entitled to it it's simple I wouldn't get it. They say that there are millions of "benefits" unclaimed and this is a prime example of one of them that is little spoke about or advertised, I knew nothing of it until a friend told me last year.

The Family allowance is now called a"benefit" "child benefit"

saying that.....what I should! be getting is the Winter Fuel allowance! but of course our dearest Government put paid to that for the ones like myself that have to work longer. so swings and roundabouts really, although the warm front grant is £62 less than the W fuel Allowance...(the warm front grants takes a few£1s off for something..cant rem what.

I get it from the Cooperative because of low income not because of benefits. It's not necessarily just for people on benefits.

I put the opening post on because I wanted to make sure people knew about the allowance and didn't miss out. But it seems like I've opened another can of worms

There's an argument, which I agree with, that the OAP is a benefit. .

sorry Fennel but that is a bugbear with me - that the state pension is a benefit. It may be termed as such and we shouldn't assume anything - but we all assumed that we were paying in for it. This view is reinforced by the fact that we receive a proportionate amount of pension to the number of years we paid in for it.

Goes off muttering.

I don't think Bluebelle's post is nasty - I can see exactly what she means as relatives of mine were slightly above the limit for any benefits (apart from the state pension and a tiny works pension). Their neighbours, however, boasted how well off they were with all the allowances (benefits?) awarded to them because their total income from pensions was slightly less and under the threshold. They ended up with double the income of the first couple.

So yes, I can see that this kind of situation could cause some resentment with people.

Interesting OP vampirequeen and I don't think that this is advertised sufficiently. Perhaps you may qualify Bluebelle - it's worth asking.

Good to put this subject on VampireQ as there will no doubt be some who are not aware of the scheme.One of the better things about GN is the info ( like this one.)