Tens of thousands of financially vulnerable people are likely slipping through eligibility cracks in the £150 Warm Home Discount support scheme, according to MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE). After direct contact between MSE founder Martin Lewis and the UK Government’s Energy Secretary Grant Shapps, Mr Shapps has promised he will look into the complaints.
While new eligibility criteria for the Warm Home Discount scheme means those on the guaranteed element of Pension Credit will continue to get the payment automatically, others on a low income also now need to have 'high energy costs.' This means that many who qualified last winter and are still facing financial difficulties won’t get it, and even some who likely should be being paid under the new criteria are finding it tough to secure the payment.
The change in Warm Home Discount eligibility rules this winter means that people in Scotland may be part of the ‘Broader Group’ if they are on a low income in receipt of certain benefits including Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Tax Credits and Income Support. Those who qualify will see the £150 discount applied to their energy bill by March 31, 2023.
