A government rule change meaning some people living in small homes may not qualify for energy support has been branded “hypocritical” by a Brentwood-based former recipient of the scheme. 

Paul Downie had been expecting a £150 warm home discount to help with his energy costs this year after receiving that sum in 2021/22. But the government has confirmed that “someone living in a small, relatively modern flat will not be eligible”. 

Paul, who is in receipt of Universal Credit, has criticised the change of criteria over who can qualify, arguing his circumstances, if anything, have gotten tighter.  

He says the weather has been colder than when he received the payment for 2021/22, and in the past year his monthly energy cost has increased from around £130 to £160. 

The flat he rents in Rollason Way is less than 20 years old and under 50 sq m – criteria that has precluded him from any warm home discount. 

In 2021/22 he applied to his energy supplier SSE and the money was deposited on his pre-payment card. When he followed up this year with a call to SSE, they said he needed to call the Warm Home Discount helpline. 

Paul said: “It’s them who have turned me down because apparently the flat is too new and too small. It’s the same flat.” 

While adding it is “understandable” why the government is doing it, Paul said the change strikes him as “hypocritical” to give the money one year and not the next. 

“It’s £150 that would have been very handy – it pays essentially for two months’ energy. In 2021 and 2022 the winter wasn’t that cold. This year it has been colder and the prices have gone up so it was just as important to get it.” 

This Is Local London: Mr Downie described the loss of the support as a bit of a gitMr Downie described the loss of the support as a bit of a git (Image: LDRS)

A statement from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “We have expanded and changed the scheme for England and Wales from how it worked previously. The scheme in Scotland has also been expanded but the eligibility has remained as before. 

“The person in the example likely qualified previously through something called the Broader Group. People needed to apply to their energy supplier and would qualify if they were on certain benefits. 

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“In England and Wales, we have replaced that with something called Core Group 2. Households qualify if they are in receipt of a means-tested benefit and are judged to have relatively high heating costs. 

“We have used Valuation Office Agency data on property type, age and size to estimate the relative heating costs of households. Larger, older, more detached homes tend to have higher heating costs. 

“Therefore, someone living in a small, relatively modern flat will not be eligible under that element of the scheme.”