Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including unpaid carers in the eligibility criteria for the Warm Home Discount.

The Warm Home Discount is a key policy in the Government’s strategy for tackling fuel poverty. The Government consulted on reforming the Warm Home Discount scheme to better target fuel poverty and to provide the rebates automatically to households, as announced in the Energy White Paper. The Government’s response to the consultation will be published in the coming weeks.

The reforms include focusing support on households on the lowest incomes who are struggling to heat their homes. Eligibility would therefore be linked to receipt of a qualifying means-tested benefit and having high energy costs. Unpaid carers in receipt of one of the qualifying means-tested benefits and with high energy costs would therefore be eligible for a rebate.