How can I apply for the Warm Home Discount?

Cheers, Blastoise. Also answered who deals with whd that now being dwp and not sse/ovo. Still like to know exactly how dwp calculate who eligible-those who fit benefit criteria easy enough, it is high usage household criteria and hiw this equates to high usage. On other forum there is saying 'if you can't blind them with science, blind them with bullsh!t' and this it seems us how they are going. The govt discounted easier ways of agreeing who would receive which even agreed not just by charities but also by energy co's, like ovo. I despair.

Hey @FrancisY,

Thank you for your question. 

@Blastoise186 is right if you are the Core Group 1 and get the Guaranteed Element of Pension Credit, you will automatically get the Warm Home Discount (WHD). There is more information about this on the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) website.  

The WHD is expanding so that more people will be eligible for the discount. This should mean that more people are receiving the help they need. There is more information about how this will be worked in this answer: 

Hope this helps.

Just wondering if it has to be the bill payer that receives the benefit to qualify?

Hey @Vixen1500, 

Thank you for that great question!

It is based on the household, not specifically the bill payer. 

Hope this helps. 

Warm Home Discount 2022/2023 i am a disabled man aged 57 i receive PIP and Income related ESA do i qualify for the warm home discount, it says in the overview that people who qualify who are on certain benefits would automatically be added by DWP, but i have never received this before and i have been in receipt of the two benefits mentioned above for years, i am just wondering why that might be or do i have to apply for it online every year. I have never heard of this discount before today as i was going through my OVO account and saw it on there and looked into it, any help or advice would be much appreciated.

Like yiur comments I am in a similar position and I believe you have to claim this additional benefit
Regards

Simon Tate 

Thank you for your reply Simon.

That’s great 

How is Warm Home Discount (WHD) changing?

Key changes in numbers

• WHD spending is increasing from £350 million to £475 million across all suppliers 

• 780,000 more households will receive the rebate

• 560,000 more fuel poor households will get help 

• The Warm Home discount rebate is increasing from £140 to £150

• 59% of recipients under the new scheme will be fuel poor compared to around 47% of recipients for the current scheme

These changes will apply for the next four years. 

Changes for England and Wales

Instead of having Core Group and Broader Group, these will now be Core Group 1 and Core Group 2. You can also check the website for the latest updates.

Core Group 1 

This group will be the same customers who were eligible for the previous Core Group, customers eligible for the Guaranteed Element of Pension Credit will continue to automatically receive the rebate.

Core Group 2

The Broader group in England and Wales is replaced with Core Group 2 and customers identified as eligible for a rebate no longer need to apply. Eligibility for Core Group 2 is determined using fuel poverty targeting. Rebates are provided to low income households with high energy costs.

Core Group 2 recipients are identified using

• Data from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) on property characteristics such as floor plan, property age and property type; and 

• Data from the DWP and HMRC on household benefits (households in receipt of certain means-tested benefits and income-capped Tax Credits will be deemed as low income)

Non-eligible customers

Some customers who used to be eligible, won’t be any more. This can be for the following reasons:

1. The customer is in receipt of non-means tested benefits (likely disability based) that are not considered as a low-income proxy under Core Group 2. (It‘s important to note that recipients who also receive a means-tested benefit would still be considered low income under Core Group 2)

2. Those in receipt of non-means tested benefits who receive another, means-tested benefit but who do not have high energy costs might not be eligible for the rebate. 

Please note that OVO’s Support team aren’t in a position to advise you on your benefits or warm home discount eligibility. If you’re not sure of any of the details above, Citizens Advice are well place to offer help and support.

Changes for Scotland

The process for customers living in Scotland will remain largely unchanged. People who receive certain income based benefits and who meet their energy supplier’s criteria for getting the Warm Home Discount (only customers in Scotland can apply for the “broader group”).

We’ll have more information over the coming months and we’ll be in touch with previous recipients to let them know how to proceed. Customers can also check the  website for the latest updates. 

Energy Bills Support Scheme

This page has all the information that we have on the Energy Bills Support Scheme right now. You can find the latest information on the Energy Bills Support Scheme on the government website. 

Ways to get financial support

If you’re struggling financially or you’re worried about your energy bills, we’re here to support you. Find out about the different ways we can help here.

Price rises: we're here to support you

Here’s the latest information on rising energy prices, and how we can help. 

I now qualify for warm home discount, pension credit, when c I apply as I wasn't on the list last year.

Bill