Is my Warm Home Discount delayed?

There are an awful lot of claims to be assessed and a lot of accounts to check, and it all takes time. If you’ve had the letter already, at least you know that the discount will be applied sometime during the winter. There’s just no way to tell when; I can only say that mine has always arrived before Christmas. 

More details may be available from Monday onwards at Warm Home Discount Scheme: Overview - GOV.UK, but I suspect it will as usual only give the end date, probably in February or March.

Thanks,the email states that Ovo have had confirmation from the DWP that I qualify for the WHD.

I always used to get it without problems when I was with SSE.My query about the delay stems from Ovo stating that I’ll get the discount applied by 24th November this year.

It sounds like you’ll still get it ‘without problems’. 

Just guessing here: everybody pays a little bit towards the scheme via the daily Standing Charge. The treasury gets the money, and another department (DESNZ, I think) administers the scheme. They decide what classes of citizen should get WHD, then have to rope in DWP to identify the eligible ones. There’s another step while the electricity industry matches eligible recipients to energy suppliers; DWP then have to inform both the suppliers and the recipients, the administrator has to persuade the treasury to part with the funds and pass them on to the supplier, who then dishes them out. There have to be checks at every stage to try and make sure that those who are eligible benefit and those who aren’t don’t.

It’s a really complicated and time consuming process, where errors could creep in at every exchange of data between the various actors, and there will always be some cases that fall into the cracks, requiring manual intervention from an army of harassed civil servants who might rather be processing asylum claims. It couldn’t possibly be done ‘all at once’, so it will be chopped into more manageable batches. The first batch may be completed in a few weeks’ time, the last probably not until sometime next year.

It sounds as if you’re one of the luckier ones. 

Hey @Nighthawk99 

Some great advice here from Firedog, the majority of the scheme is run out-with OVO’s control until the DWP actually send over the funds for each claim.

I’m glad to hear you’ve received your letter already, this is a really good sign of things running smoothly like Firedog also mentioned. 

The Warm Home Discount homepage run by the Government has only just been updated so you can check out a little more on there too: https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme

It does provide a broad date range of when payments are due to be made, so it’s nice that your letter gives you something a bit more specific to look out for.

Update;

I’ve now had the letter from DWP confirming that I’ll get the WHD,so all is apparently on track.

If you post if you get the WHD by 24th Nov as per the email from ovo I am sure it will help re assure others

https://forum.ovoenergy.com/my-account-140/warm-home-discount-delay-16201?postid=101441#post101441

If I can,I will.

Update;

I got the email from OVO today saying the WHD has been applied to my account.I’ve checked my account and it’s showing as a £150 credit.

The original date was given as 24th November,so it’s nine days early.I hope this reassures people who may be waiting for the WHD to be applied.

Me too - eleven days early 😊