To think that the new Warm Home Discount Scheme discount of £120...

[Upwardandonward]

...is great in comparison to the Cold Weather Payments (£25 for 7 consecutive days under 0 C), but it's a shame that some energy companies will be running it on a first come, first served basis?

British Gas have a 45 minute holding time on their phones at the moment. I just wanted to highlight the scheme for others on low-income and/or DLA, particularly if you're with one of the energy companies which talk about capping their numbers.

BloodandScumatron and Dawn, thank you very much. I know it sounds stupid but because they'd put me on a disabled tariff it hadn't occured to me to change companies.
Looks like it's all my own fault for not having claimed enough/right benefits.

So would the elderly still get their heating allowance on top of this?and would they need to enquire about it theirselves? It says the government will tell the energy suplier but everyone saying they are ringing up to apply.
Have an elderly grandfather on his own who would be grateful for this.

Yes, they'd still get it.

They only send it out automaticaly to pensioners who are on pension credit guarentee. Everyone else has to apply for themseles.

Ok,thank you

Can i ask why is it electricity rebate they are getting and not gas which i'm assuming most people heat their homes with? I realise you can just use the money you would pay for the electric on the gas but my nan has a direct debit so she will have to ring up to swap it over. (or am i reading it wrong and its for gas?

My nan is hopefully entitled to this and it will make a huge difference to how she will live this winter, ie not sitting huddled up on the chair with her blanket/dressing gown etc on.

Is it only Gas? Or is it Electric too?

Im with 2 different suppliers for my gas and electric. Ive applied to my Gas company to see if i can get one, even though i have ticked 1 out of every section. Which from their website is eligibility.

shrieking i think you'll need to apply to your electricity supplier.

Very impressed with EON actually explaining things.

Now wheres British Gas, Swalec etc?

yep, think they are missing a trick there dee

Wow, very impressed to see this, and a very big thank you 'Malc' (and anyone else who may have brought this about) as according to that list I definitely do qualify (x2) and am about to be on the phone to ask for a second look at this please.

Well done EON! (and quietly amazed that life can be changed by a Mumsnet post)

Zelda if it's not possible to fully heat then an electric blanket is a real safety net against night time temperatures falling to dangerous levels. Hope your Nan can have a better winter.

Well I called back and what they?ve said is they identified 500,000 customers between Aug 22nd and Sept 5th, and those people will have been sent application forms. It is then a lottery as to which of them will get the grant.

I was not identified as while they had me registered as a vulnerable customer, they didn?t hold information on what benefits I might be getting/entitled to, (and why would they?) which would have identified me as qualifying.

As said before I?m not in ?fuel poverty? as I don?t use what I can?t pay for, therefore I don?t spend enough of my income on fuel to be counted as in ?fuel poverty? which is how that?s worked out.

They?ve taken my info and the means to check it to be true, and I should now be automatically on next year?s list of people who can apply for this lottery system.

Again a very nice rep, who?s going to hand it to their manager who will probably hand it to theirs, and I?ve asked them to let me now if I can at least apply, (even if my chances post the date are slim.)

I still can't understand that, JGOWI - surely if you know you are eligible, then you should be able to apply - all they would have to do is take your NI number and check with the DWP, or ask you to send proof of entitlement which you can get from the DWP yourself. It also said the only people who will get it automaticly are those on Pension Credit Guarentee.

I was told by SWALEC that i could apply up until the end of March, as the new finiancial year starts in April, and then i could apply again in April for 2012's payment iyswim?

I get the feeling that someone is really giving you short shrift at EON - perhaps Malc could come back to this and tell us exactly whats going on?

Update:
Dawn they've taken my NI no, and I assume checked with DWP, and my very slim useage tells it's own story, and I hope others who are struggling and have been turned down will also go back.

A big thank you to Eon (and their reps) because they've rung me back to say a decision's been made to send me an application form next month, so I?m in with a chance, and am very grateful for that, and to those on here who pushed me to push.

Not sure what the odds are of winnining and losing, but apparently it?s 30,000 people out of the 500,000 identified, who?ll actually be chosen, and it seems it will be entirely random, not first come first served, or based on need and we find out in January if we?ve been lucky or not.

In answer to the original O/P: Great thread, but if I understand it all correctly it seems YABU I?m afraid, as no it isn?t great in comparison to the Cold Weather Payments (£25 for 7 consecutive days under 0 C) because that was a guaranteed safety net against hypothermia for all those most vulnerable to it, which has been removed from many vulnerable customers, and which of them now will or won?t be at severe risk, will no longer be based on their actual situation, but literally luck.

The cold weather payments will still be given out as they are awarded from the DWP, not the energy supplier.

waiting on the phone at the moment. we dont get ESA, but Im still receiving income related IB.

Fingers crossed, Lissie

ive been on hold for 30 bloody minutes!!!

apparently DWP will contact us. although despite being below the threshold, dh still isnt eligible for JSA

Dawn you're corect. My apologies and also to the O/P. I've was given the wrong info. DWP have just confirmed that cold weather payments will continue to all vulnerable people.

It's really a pisstake, isn't it?

The whole system's so confusing.