Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ed Davey and Tim Loughton

Thursday 19th June 2014 Commons Chamber

[Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con)]

The Secretary of State will recall that I raised with him an anomaly about the warm home discount scheme. Pensioners with social landlords who pay their bills collectively through the social landlord do not qualify for that discount. He promised to look into that matter, and he wrote to me. Will he update me on any progress he has made as it is of big relevance to many pensioners in social accommodation in my constituency?

[Mr Davey]

I can give my hon. Friend an interim update. As part of our work on the fuel poverty strategy, we are looking at reforms to the warm home discount to make sure that it is more effective.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ed Davey and Tim Loughton

Thursday 16th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con)]

Last week a constituent came to my surgery complaining of being bombarded with Government literature urging him to apply for the warm home discount and quoting the Secretary of State assuring the Select Committee that it was available to all pensioners, but, because my constituent is in sheltered accommodation and pays his energy bills via his housing association, he has been told that he does not qualify. Is the Secretary of State aware of this anomaly and is anything being done about it?

[Mr Davey]

I am grateful for my hon. Friend’s question. There are one or two anomalies with the way in which the warm home discount works. We are looking at how we can tackle that, not least in our approach to the fuel poverty strategy, which will be published later this spring.