For those who managed to get the Warm Front Grant

[Hangingbellyofbabylon]

we got turned down a couple of months go for warm front as we were told it had to be the householder in receipt of DLA and not the child. We didn't fall into any of the other categories either.

Did anyone else get the grant but only get DLA for a child and NOT any of these other benefits? :

Income Support
Council Tax Benefit
Housing Benefit
Job Seekers Allowance (income-based)
Pension Credit
Working Tax Credit (with an income of less than £15,460, which must include a disability element)
Disability Living Allowance
Child Tax Credit (with an income of less than £15,460)
Housing Benefit (which must include a disability premium)
Income Support (which must include a disability premium)
Council Tax Benefit (which must include a disability premium)
War Disablement Pension (which must include a mobility supplement or Constant Attendance Allowance)
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (which must include a mobility supplement or Constant Attendance Allowance)
Attendance Allowance

At the time the grants people said dla for a child alone didn't count and that we needed to be in receipt of another one of the benefits listed above.

[nuru]

we were told the same thing ie, child with DLA does not count

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

ah I was going to ring and ask about this- as I know friends who have received it (child not adult & with none of the benefits listed above). You may have saved me a phone call. I wonder whether they've tightened up.....

[ouryve]

We got told the same. We could do without their version of loft insulation, which makes the loft unusable for storage, but our heating system is old enough to drive.

We did find out there's a local scheme for anyone that improves insulation (loft and cavity walls) for a flat rate of £99, mind.

[fizzbuzz]

We applied last year, and were told were we eligible as e had a child under 5. So it must have changed...

No one turned up to do the assessment though...seems to be a common theme

[Raine3]

If you phone these people & give them your finance details they will tell you exactly what you are entitled to, takes 5-10 mins max.

They told me I was entitled to a reduction in council tax and the warm front grant and we don't get any of the benefits on HangingBelly's list!

They also put it in writing for you so that if you need to you can present it to whomever it may concern.

And it's freephone so got to be worth a try ....

Welfare Rights Benefits Line 0800 072 9006

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

You get a reduction in council tax (down a band) if you have a room that is for the sole use of a disabled person. We have a basement room that we use for ds1;s therapy and they have counted that (we had an inspection).

You can also get a bigger reduction for being a student though - so if your dh is there then I think you pay the equivalents of a single person household. But I forgot about that and haven't done anything yet so will find out about it.

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

I don't thnk that is council tax benefit though. I think that's something different.

[Pixel]

It's a bit daft when you think about it though, if you live in a house big enough to have a 'spare' for sole use of a disabled person you can get a council tax reduction, but if you are all squeezed into a titchy house because it's all you can afford you have to pay the full whack.
We get working tax credit and child tax credit so that's a couple of things off that list. Would the warmfront grant apply to a new front door? (assuming our landlord would agree of course). Ours sends a terrible draught through the whole house and we tried a curtain over it but were told to take it down as it was contributing to the condensation/damp problem. I'm fed up with salesmen knocking on the door and asking if we want a new one!

[Raine3]

JimJam is right, when I told the man that they had refused council tax reduction he said you are still entitled to one and it has nothing to to with having a room set aside for DS .... Ds was getting grumpy so he said the letter he would send would explain what we were entitled to and why ... best thing to do is phone them !

[Hangingbellyofbabylon]

Raine3 - when you phone that helpline what kind of info do you need to give? presumably income? will have to check with dh as I don't know the exact figures.

[Raine3]

They want an estimated weekly or annual income for anyone in the house, your ages, and anycurrent benefits you may get, and sorry we do get Child tax credits which is on HangingBelly's list ! I should also point out that I am 37 and my partner is 59 so I don't know if his age had some bearing on this.

But either way if you are entitled to any extras it seems that these are the people to ask, and like I said they don't keep you hanging on the phone for ages.

[Hangingbellyofbabylon]

Thanks, I'll gather all of the bits and pieces and phone them later.

[Saggarmakersbottomknocker]

Is this the grant that gives you free cavity wall insylation and stuff? We've just had a survey done and had a letter saying we qualify for it for free. dd gets DLA, we don't get any of the other benefits.

[anonandlikeit]

I applied for warm front grant & was initially told it had to be the householder, I queried & was then told it has to be a member of the household & it includes children.
We had a survey & guess what, our house is too old so we don't have a cavity to fill & our loft is just by mm within the acceptable range for insulation.
The man did leave me some low energy light bulbs!

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

apparently they do boilers (our house too old- no cavity and no loft but an ancient boiler)

[heartinthecountry]

We got a new boiler, new water tank and some new radiators through Warm Front. We don't get any other benefits but got it through dd1's DLA. It's possible they have tightened up as we had ours done 2 years ago, or its possible they are trying to fob people off.

We did have to pay about £300 towards the work as it all together went over the max grant.

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

oooh thanks HITC- this is the type of work I was thinking of trying to get funding for. I will ring up and find out what they say.