People who own their own home or rent from private landlords may be eligible for a special ‘Warm Front’ grant. This is a government-funded initiative designed to help people more easily afford their household heating costs by implementing modern and energy-saving heating systems. By installing up-to-date heating systems, less money is spent on keeping households warm.
The Warm Front grant covers a cost of £2,700, rising up to £4,000 if you need oil central heating. The grant is available to a large variety of people in receipt of benefits or in certain conditions. An initial assessment is carried out to determine if you are eligible for the grant. If you are, a Warm Front engineer will be dispatched to your home to evaluate its existing heating system. The improvements are carried out, and in the majority of cases the cost is covered by the grant alone. This means that you don’t have to pay anything.
You are eligible for a Warm Front grant if you:
- Are aged over 60 and receive:
- Income support
- Council tax benefits
- Housing benefit
- Job seekers allowance (income-based), or
- Pension credit
- Are a householder with a child under 16, or a pregnant woman with maternity certificate in receipt of:
- Income support
- Council tax benefits
- Housing benefit
- Job seekers allowance
- Pension credit
- Are a householder in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:
- 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
