[meldrewreborn]

If people are in England and Wales , but receive certain benefits (as shown below) you are in the broader "Core Group 2", then

You may still be eligible for the Warm Home Discount.
You may be eligible if on 13 August 2023 all of the following applied:

• your energy supplier is part of the scheme
• you (or your partner) get certain means-tested benefits or tax credits
• your property has a high energy cost score based on its characteristics
• your name (or your partner’s) is on the electricity bill

This is known as being in the ‘core group 2’.

Qualifying benefits and tax credits

The qualifying means-tested benefits are:

• Housing Benefit
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• the ‘Savings Credit’ part of Pension Credit
• Universal Credit

You could also qualify if your household income falls below a certain threshold and you get either:

• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

Your energy cost score

Your property must have a high energy cost score to be eligible for the scheme.
This is not based on the actual energy costs in your energy bill. It’s calculated based on your property’s type, age and floor area.

How to get the discount

You’ll get a letter between October 2023 and early January 2024 if:

• you’re eligible for the scheme
• you might be eligible for the scheme, but you need to give more information

If you’re eligible for the scheme, your letter will confirm you do not need to do anything. You’ll receive the discount automatically.
If you need to give more information, your letter will tell you to call the helpline by 29 February 2024 to confirm your details.
If you’re eligible, your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill by 31 March 2024.

If you do not get a letter

Contact the Warm Home Discount Scheme if you do not get the letter by early January 2024 and you think you’re eligible.
You must contact them before 29 February 2024.
Warm Home Discount Scheme helpline
Telephone: 0800 030 9322
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges
110552 Warm Home Discount Scheme
PO Box 26965
Glasgow
G1 9BW

Essentially you should only call Eon Next customers services if you've had a confirmation letter from the DWP but the discount hasn't been paid.
Eon Next don't determine eligibility for the discount, their role is only to credit to your account.

[TerryMc]

@meldrewreborn
Thank you for all the information you find. It really is confusing as if you go by the information given by Eon next then you think you are entitled automatically because am in Core group 2. I do not have Pension Credit. That should be removed as people in Core Group 2 are not automatically entitled unless as you say all the extra hoops are also jumped through. I cannot get past the extra issue of a Energy Performance Certificate which you must have as well as being in the core groups. My property does not need one and to get my property certificated it is going to cost me as much as you receive in the discount so it just aint worth it. Plus, there is no guarantee the DWP will accept it anyway. That is what I was told by the WHD Helpline last Winter. I don't think it is any different this year, yet Eon Next keep saying that if you are in the Core Groups you will be automatically entitled to receive the discount.
I don't know where I stand as Eon next tell me one thing and the WHD tell me different. I must therefore go by the WHD helpline since I didn't receive anything last year despite what Eon next told me.
No letter means no discount. I wish I knew how to appeal the way they have made up all these extra hoops but they don't make anything easy.

[meldrewreborn]

@TerryMc

you do not need an EPC. The Valuation Office Agency ascribe the energy performance by analogy with other local properties. But it’s all invisible to the individual.

If you did want to get a really free EPC you could take out an account with Skipton Building Society as they have a free service, they seek to sell you resulting services but those are easily resisted.
Around my way an EPC can be got for less than £50, and the discount is £150. But I doubt that it’s at all necessary. Getting one could make your case worse (if that’s possible)

the WHD helpline is the main route for you. Challenge them if they say you need an EPC, get the advisors name and make a complaint. But they should be capable of explaining where your potential entitlement is overturned and why

[meldrewreborn]

If an Eon advisor says you as a core group 2 household should get the discount automatically, take their name and then make a complaint

[TerryMc]

@meldrewreborn yes Core Group 2.

[Anasa_EONNext]

Hey @TerryMc

There seems to be some confusion over your entitlement. It looks like from what you said you weren't entitled to the discount last year based on the criteria however in your posts you have mentioned that you chased this up with an Energy Specialist and they confirmed that you were core group 2 and that you should be getting the discount but up until now you've not had it @meldrewreborn is correct if you were advised this you do need to chase this up if you were told that it would be allocated to your account and if this information is correct you can indeed raise a complaint.

I would say that you're best to contact the WHD team directly who'll be able to determined if you're entitled or not if the criteria is not clear for you - you can pop back here any time and let us know what's been said and we'll work through it - you're not alone 😊

[meldrewreborn]

@Anasa_EONNext

The devil is in the detail in these matters and I’m fully aware that our recall of events is not always perfect. But if a complaint is raised then hopefully it will be properly investigated.

[Anasa_EONNext]

100% @meldrewreborn there does seem to be some crossed wires with what's gone on and we'll get to the bottom of it 🤞I think they'll be a few more queries now Warm Home Discount is open, thank you for making everything super clear and transparent 😊 and we'll keep any info relevant coming to the forum so we're as clear as can be.

[Mailman]

Just looked at the guidelines for suppliers so I believe the supplier has their hands tied without notification from the SoS apparatus and its organisations involved in the determination of the eligibility of someone in core 2 (DWP/BEIS/VAO). From what I can see, its not enough to be on receipt of qualifying benefits - you need high energy costs. Section 4.22 page 30/89 goes into the detail and 4.26 goes into the energy aspect of it and might explain to some in this thread why they have not been included in the core 2 category entitlement . this post confirms what these guidelines state.

[meldrewreborn]

@Mailman

Indeed. The document also states that it’s BEIS that sets the definition of the high / low energy boundary and intimates that it could change over time, and households need to be high cost and meet the other criteria to qualify. Confidence in the scheme will suffer if these assessments are kept secret. A FOI request beckons methinks.