Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many and what proportion of households that were previously in receipt of the Warm Homes Discount did not qualify for the payment under the new energy cost score criteria implemented for the 2022-23 scheme.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to her on 9 March 2023 to Question 156174. In addition, the Government expanded the scheme from winter 2022/23 onwards to support more households and increased the value of the rebate to £150.
The Government has expanded the Warm Home Discount scheme this year to support more low-income and vulnerable households. The Government published impact assessments when consulting and publishing the Government’s response, which compared the option for reforming the scheme to continuing the previous scheme.
As households previously applied through their suppliers, who set their own application processes and eligibility criteria and selected successful applicants each year, the Government has not been able to assess how many households previously eligible are no longer eligible.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending eligibility for the Warm Home Discount Scheme to people on non-means tested disability benefits.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In reforming the scheme, the Government assessed the merits of including households on non-means tested disability benefits and provided details of this assessment in the consultation and impact assessment. Its analysis, based on the English Housing Survey, was that the fuel poverty rates for DLA and PIP recipients in receipt of one of the qualifying means-tested benefits was 41%, compared to 14% for DLA and PIP recipients who are not eligible.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason it is his policy to (a) exclude recipients of non-means tested disability benefits and (b) include recipients of housing benefits in the eligibility criteria for the Warm Home Discount Scheme.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government limited eligibility to means-tested benefits, including Housing Benefit, and tax credits below a certain income threshold as the most effective available proxies for low income and to maximise the targeting on fuel poverty. Our analysis based on the English Housing Survey was that the fuel poverty rates for DLA and PIP recipients in receipt of one of the qualifying means-tested benefits was 41%, compared to 14% for DLA and PIP recipients who are not eligible.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many people in receipt of means-tested benefits became ineligible for the Warm Homes Discount between November 2022 and March 2023 due to not fulfilling the high-energy cost criteria.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government has expanded the Warm Home Discount scheme this year to support more low-income and vulnerable households. The Government published impact assessments when consulting and publishing the Government’s response, which compared the option for reforming the scheme to continuing the previous scheme.
As households previously applied through their suppliers, who set their own application processes and eligibility criteria and selected successful applicants each year, the Government has not been able to assess how many households previously eligible are no longer eligible.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he has made an assessment of the potential merits of altering eligibility requirements so that all recipients of Universal Credit can access the Warm Homes Discount.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has reformed the Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales from 2022/23 to focus the support to households at greater risk of fuel poverty and to provide most rebates automatically. Households both in receipt of a qualifying means-tested benefit and who live in a property with a high energy cost score may be eligible to receive a rebate.
Extending the scheme to all recipients of Universal Credit would decrease the proportion of recipients in fuel poverty and increase the cost of the scheme significantly.
In Scotland, energy suppliers can set their own criteria in addition to the minimum eligibility criteria as set in the Regulations, subject to approval by Ofgem.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the impact of delays in opening of applications for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding on vulnerable households.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is committed to delivering support for those households without a direct relationship to a domestic energy supplier as quickly as possible. The Government is focused on continuing to work closely with local authorities to ensure that they are suitably prepared to deliver support to eligible households. Further updates on the scheme's launch will be provided in due course and, therefore, no assessment will be made.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reasons the eligibility criteria for the Warm Homes Discount were altered to not include people living in houses with an Energy Performance Certificate score of D or below.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales does not exclude households based on their property’s energy efficiency rating. As outlined in the consultation and Government Response on reforming the scheme, eligibility is not based on energy efficiency ratings as Energy Performance Certificates are not available for every domestic property.
Households in receipt of a qualifying means-tested benefit and who live in a property with a high energy cost score may be eligible to receive a rebate. The Government calculates energy cost scores for properties using certain characteristics taken from Valuation Office Agency data: the type, age, and floor area.
In Scotland, energy suppliers can set their own criteria in addition to the minimum eligibility criteria as set in the Regulations, subject to approval by Ofgem.