Rosie Winterton

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ROSIE RECIEVES WARM WELCOME

Rosie Winterton, MP for Doncaster Central will be visiting the home of constituents Mr and Mrs Kenneth and Mavis Sankey, to help raise awareness of the Warm Homes Campaign 2006.

The Sankey’s home is one of many to have benefited from the installation of gas central heating through the Warm Front Scheme, the Government funded grant programme managed by Eaga Group.

Rosie says   “Fuel poverty has serious issues, particularly for older people and children.  The Warm Homes Campaign highlights the need to help people make their homes more energy efficient.  By making people’s houses more energy efficient, fuel bills can be cut.  In this day and age, no one should have to spend the winter without affordable heat for their home.

This campaign builds on the Government’s work to combat fuel poverty and I am happy to support it.  I want to see an end to fuel poverty in Doncaster and across the rest of the UK.”

The annual winter campaign for Warm Homes, organised by fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA) in association with energy supplier E.ON.UK, aims to cut the number of excess winter deaths and reduce cold-related illnesses by raising awareness of the help available to people who cannot afford to heat their homes in winter.

The Warm Front grant can provide certain constituents with heating and insulation measures with a value up to £2,700.  Improved insulation also helps to reduce heat loss, which besides saving money, also helps the environment.  To qualify for the scheme, householders need to own their own home or rent their property from a private landlord.  They also need to be in receipt of an income or disability related benefit, this includes pension credit.

Constituents should contact the Warm Front team on 0800 316 6014 to apply for a grant. 

All those applying for the Warm Front scheme are also offered the opportunity to undergo a check to see if they are in receipt of all the benefits to which they are entitled.  You may find that after the check your weekly income is increased and in some cases that you can then qualify to receive a Warm Front grant if you were previously not eligible.

JOURNALISTS & PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND AT 11.00 a.m. on Friday 24 November at the home of Mrs Mavis Sankey, 42 Ewood Drive, Doncaster, DN4 6AU. (Please do not print the home address of Mrs Sankey, for information only)

Warm Front is the cornerstone of the Government’s commitment to end fuel poverty in vulnerable households by 2010.  Fuel poverty is defined as spending more than 10% of household income on fuel bills.  Warm Front began in June 2000 and Eaga Partnership took over as scheme manager in Doncaster Central in June 2005.  The scheme also underwent regulatory changes in July 2005, which have resulted in more people being eligible for central heating, not just those aged 60 or over.

The scheme manager, Eaga Group, has also reported 23 households in Doncaster Central have benefited from a brand new central heating system and a further 104 have received repairs to broken or condemned boilers since June 2005. An additional 81 households will make savings from having had their home insulated.

Benefit Entitlement Checks (BEC) have been operating as part of Warm Front since June 2003, with the average weekly increase per client in Doncaster Central the past year being found as £23.35 

The Warm Front grant provides a grant of up to £2,700 to the following groups:
1. Householders who are aged 60 or over, and are in receipt of one or more of the following benefits: Income Support, Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit, Job Seekers Allowance (Income-based), Pension Credit
2. Householders who have a child under 16, or are pregnant and have been given maternity certificate MAT B1, and are also in receipt of one or more of the following benefits: Income Support, Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit, Job Seekers Allowance (Income based), Pension Credit
3. Householders in receipt of one or more of the following benefits: Working Tax Credit with income less than £15,050 + Disability Premium, Disability Living Allowance, Child Tax Credit with income less than £15,050, Housing Benefit + Disability Premium, Income Support + Disability Premium, Council Tax + Disability Premium, War Disablement Pension + (Constant Attendance Allowance or Mobility Supplement), Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit + Constant Attendance Allowance, Attendance Allowance.