Frequently asked questions

If you are struggling to keep your home warm in colder weather and are using portable heaters, open fires, electric fires or panels heaters, which costs a lot to run and don't really keep your home warm for very long. Click on the links below to find out about our Keeping Warm in Winter Scheme.

Eligibility

Owners and tenants can apply. The Keeping Warm in Winter Scheme is aimed at people who don't quite qualify for the nationally available grants, but who can't afford to pay for an affordable heating system from their own resources.

• If you receive any means-tested benefits you could get help.
  
  
• If you don't receive any means-tested benefits but your income is quite close to benefit level you might still qualify, but you'll have to fill in a financial assessment form to find out.
  
  
• f your income is well above benefit level, sorry - you don't qualify for help, but it's worth phoning the Kent Energy Centre on 08003 586 669.

You must be living at the address where you want assistance, as your only or main residence. Assistance will not be given for holiday homes or second homes.

You must have a duty or responsibility to carry out the work. If you are a tenant you'll need to get the owner's consent for any work you want to carry out.

What kind of assistance is available

If you qualify for a nationally available Warmfront grant we will pass on your details so that you get a grant. This could include extra heating, even a central heating system plus insulation.

If you receive means-tested benefits but you don't qualify for Warmfront, the Council's Keeping Warm in Winter scheme can provide a very similar package of heating and insulation.

If you qualify for Keeping Warm in Winter, we'll get the work done for you using local contractors and it won't cost you a penny. You just pay the running costs (and any repairs and servicing needed in the future.) Our aim is to make it easier and cheaper for you to heat your home in cold weather!

What we will provide

We can provide heating and insulation up to a value of about £3000. The Council and their partners have worked together to get prices as low as possible, which helps you get more for your money.

The standard we aim for is a heating system that you can afford to run in the living room, main bedroom, bathroom, hall and landing. This may be a boiler with radiators in larger homes, a number of wall-mounted gas convector heaters or gas fires in smaller homes, or electric storage heaters in homes where there is no easily available gas supply. If there is an easily available gas supply we may pay for your home to be connected.

If electric storage heaters are fitted we will also try to install comprehensive insulation and draught proofing to keep the heat in.

If your home already has affordable heating in some of the rooms we will add extra heating of the same kind to bring it up to the standard. In some cases we'll even take out electric heaters and install a gas-fired heating system instead.

Replacement Boilers
Some homes already have a heating system but need an expensive new boiler. We can provide a new high-efficiency boiler in cases like this.

Can I appeal if my application is refused

If your application is refused, the Council will at the same time explain the reasons for refusal and the procedure for appealing against the decision. The appeal will be to a small panel of councillors, who will ask you to explain your case, hear the Council's case and then make a final decision based on what they have heard.

Applying for Assistance

• Private sector housing contact details

List of Qualifying Benefits

If you receive one of these means-tested benefits you may qualify for assistance:

• Income Support
  
• Housing Benefit
  
• Council Tax Benefit
  
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance
  
• Working Tax Credit (with income less than £14,200)
  
• Child Tax Credit (with income less than £14,200)

In addition, you might qualify for a Warm Front grant if you have one of the following benefits:

• Income Support (which must include a disability premium).
  
• Housing Benefit (which must include a disability premium).
  
• Council Tax Benefit (which must include a disability premium).
  
• Attendance Allowance
  
• Disability Living Allowance
  
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (which must include Constant Attendance Allowance).
  
• War Disablement Pension (which must include the mobility supplement or Constant Attendance Allowance)