additional payments from your electricity supplier

[bbstport]

Hi there I hope that you have all tried to register for the £100 plus from your electricity supplier as last year. if you qualify you will get the payment in your bank in march 2014.

[vixs04]

Hi, Can you tell me more about this money from my electric supplier please, as I dont know anything about it?

[bbstport]

no wo rry, it is called the warm home discount scheme and the amount is £135 against your electricity account by end of march 2014. it wont affect cold weather payment or winter fuel payment if you do get any of these.

you can either contact your supplier or look and apply on line just search warm home discount scheme and you will see full criteria or phone your supplier. Hope this help you let us know how you get on. belinda

[fastball in reply to bbstport]

i did'nt have to apply for it and the payment is from the gov. It also goes straight to your supplier. I have had it two yrs on the trot. As i said i did'nt know any thing about it till i had a letter telling me i was getting it, then a letter later from my electric company to say it had been paid.

Chris

[bbstport in reply to fastball]

both myself and my dad had to apply as it was the first time last year but then after that i think you qualify direct if no change in circumstances

[rhy1]

For some reason the only qualifying groups mentioned on the .gov site are pensioners!? Here's the full list (from EDF):

Following a hugely successful second year in which we helped over 175,000 customers, giving out over £23 million in rebates, Warm Home Discount is now open for a third year. You can apply online for the Warm Home Discount - Support Plus rebate.

What is Warm Home Discount?

Warm Home Discount is a four-year, Government-led scheme, which was introduced in 2011. It involves the Government and electricity suppliers working together to offer additional support to people who are at risk of being fuel poor. There are a number of ways the scheme can offer support, including rebates.

There are two elements to the rebate part of the scheme. This year Warm Home Discount provides rebates of £135 to the following customers:

Warm Home Discount rebates

You may qualify for this energy discount if on the 20 July 2013 (the qualifying date) you or your partner living with you, are either

Aged under 75 and receiving only the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (no Savings Credit)

Aged 75 or over and receiving the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (even if you get Savings Credit as well)

If this applies to you the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) should write to you this autumn and let you know. They will also notify us so we can pay your rebate.

Warm Home Discount - Support Plus rebates - find out more

In 2013/14 Warm Home Discount - Support Plus gives qualifying vulnerable customers a one-off electricity rebate of £135 this winter**. To qualify for this, you, or your partner living with you, must meet at least one criteria from each of these two groups:

Group 1

Income Based Job Seekers Allowance

Income Support

Income related Employment and Support Allowance

Group 2

Long Term Incapacity Benefit (including credits only)

Severe Disability Allowance

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for yourself

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for another adult living with you

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for a child living with you

Have a child who was under 5 on the 1st April 2013 living with you (born on or after 1 April 2008)

Income related Employment and Support Allowance which includes a work related activity or a support group component

[haribo36 in reply to rhy1]

Thanks for all this info,will take a look into it xxx

[Hidden in reply to rhy1]

Hi rhy1

Thanks for the info I checked this a couple of weeks ago and found it so confusing that I didn't bother

I am 40 and live with my husband and we are EDF cutomers and I am in receipt of ESA support (prior to that long term incap and income support) and also higher rate mobility DLA, do I qualify?

I don't mean to be dumb but they put so many criteria in place that I find it difficult to decide whether I qualify or not

xxxzebxxx

[Kirby in reply to Hidden]

As long as you have some Income Base to your ESA then you qualify in Grps ! & 2 by the looks of it.

[Hidden in reply to Kirby]

Cheer hun thankyou xxx

[Ellejm in reply to Hidden]

You will qualify, it's a simple phone call to your supplier, it's £140 not £135 as written above and is sent to you in a voucher in February/March..mine goes on my electric meter...

I'm on income related ESA and tax credits and I've had this for the past 4 years..it's very easy to do and my supplier British Gas make it very easy to do..

Like most of us I find phone calls hard to make, and bills difficult, but this isn't stressful at all..it's not too late for next March if you apply now, don't throw money away, we are entitled to it...

[Hidden in reply to Ellejm]

Hubby and I were just talking about this yesterday funnily enough

We changed supplier so ended up not being able to apply but we can now

Thankyou x fluffie hugs

[rhy1]

Your ESA will either be 'Contribution Based' or 'Income Related'. If you've worked in the last few years it 'may' be contribution based. However, contribution based ESA only lasts for 12 months so, If you've been on ESA for more than a year (as I would assume might be the case from your post) it 'should' be income related. Both groups list income related ESA as a qualifier.

[Hidden in reply to rhy1]

Cheers for that I'll look into it, thank you for explaining it.

xxxzebxxx

[bbstport in reply to Hidden]

i would also add if some of you are confused with this contact your supplier direct and they will tell you if you qualify and also possibly do the application with you on the phone

[Hidden in reply to bbstport]

Good idea thankyou never thought of that. My OH deals with those things you see I deal with the foody stuff LOL xxxzebxxx

[rhy1 in reply to Hidden]

Edf have an on-line application form here edfenergyonline.co.uk/suppo...

I've just looked at it and the options are different to the info I pasted into the post above but not to worry, you get DLA so you should still qualify. The list is here with a link to the application form: edfenergy.com/products-serv...

[Hidden in reply to rhy1]

Aw bless you thankyou very much for your help it is very much appreciated rhy1 that would make life so much easier for us both too actually

warming fluffies to you xxxzebxxx

[mattoid-mags]

I checked this out but unfortunately if you live in Northern Ireland, you don't qualify (sad) lol

[bluebell10]

im on pay as you go meters for gas &electric,so have to fone british gas but have you tried getting thru to them,its mad x

[bbstport in reply to bluebell10]

keep trying as i know a lot of people on here applied last year after i posted the information

[rhy1 in reply to bluebell10]

According to their website you can register for the Warm Home Discount Scheme on-line: britishgas.co.uk/products-a...

[Kirby in reply to rhy1]

I tried British gas but you have to switch to them BEFORE they let you know and they go through a complicated assessment on your income. It was a pain so did't bother.

[Ellejm in reply to Kirby]

It isn't a complicated assessment, it's easy, they ask a few questions about income, I have difficulty talking on the phone and with bills, but this is easy....they ask 5-7 questions about circumstances, I've had this for 4 years from British gas, they also have added me to their priority register which means if I'm without services they get it back for me fast

[bluebell10]

ok thank you

[Mazz64]

I applied in July for this, it was easy to do over the phone, that is with Scottish power. I only heard of it from a friend in June

[bbstport in reply to Mazz64]

i did mine over the phone last year as well and on line this year but i did post about this last year as well and it was amazing how many people had not heard about it and how many then applied. Belinda

[jue2829]

You can apply on line and your energy supplier will let you know if you qualify as they get in contact with the benefits office and double check which benefit you are receiving. If you qualify you get £135 credited to your account even if pre payment meters .

[shazzap12]

My Dla was stopped in October and is going through the appeal process. I have just made a new claim for PIP as current dla claim finished on 23/11/2013. Will I be able to claim this, as I am sort of in limbo status at the momonet.

[bbstport in reply to shazzap12]

i think you would have to check with them.

[fibro]

I was sent a letter by my supplier but they wasted the postage as i didn't even need to anything as reading their letter i don't qualify. So please don't just assume you will get it. It isn't everyone and the conditions can vary from supplier to supplier, plus not all are in the scheme

[Kirby]

Last year E-on did not include DLA (and presumably PIP) as a qualifying benefit so we left them and went to n-power who did. Hope that helps.

[bbstport in reply to Kirby]

well done kirby

[Kirby in reply to bbstport]

Thanks