This piece first appeared in Saga Magazine in December 1999
The text here may not be identical to the published text

The Government has made more promises about what it will do for older people. At the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth at the end of September three ministers announced what seemed to be three new initiatives to help older people. But closer inspection showed them to be one promise made three times.

Prime Minister Tony Blair first set out his concerns. "While there is still one child still in poverty in Britain today, one pensioner in poverty, one person denied their chance in life, there is one Prime Minister and one Party that will have no rest. … And I say to Britain's pensioners, I know when you get an extra £100 for every pensioner household this November - not just for those on benefits, everyone - it's not the end of your worries. … I believe in civil liberties too…The liberty of pensioners to live without fear of getting their door kicked in by someone thieving to pay for their [drug] habit."

Over the next three days, Mr Blair was followed by three Ministers who - magically - had new policies to answer the fears the Prime Minister set out on behalf of older people in his speech.

First up was Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, also Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions. "Today Stephen Byers and I are announcing a new scheme. To help pensioners and poor families who need help to make their homes warmer. And not just insulation, but brand new central heating. To reduce the obscenity of deaths from hypothermia. That bring disgrace to this country." As with many Labour speeches, John Prescott's contained more promises than verbs.

And he was followed that afternoon by Mr Byers, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. He had done a deal - presumably over lunch - to get central heating in council and housing association homes fitted and guaranteed by Transco - the company that now owns and manages the network of gas pipes which connect 10 million homes in Britain with the North Sea.

Finally, the next day, Home Secretary Jack Straw added his two penn'orth - an £11 million add-on to the scheme "Across the country it is the elderly, the most vulnerable who are living in fear of crime when they should be enjoying their retirement. John Prescott and I are delighted to announce that from next June pensioners qualifying for the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme will also get help keeping their homes safe. That means free locks and bolts for around 150,000 of our poorest pensioners in high crime areas. That is joined up government in action - helping our pensioners feel warmer in winter and safer throughout the year."

So what does all this mean?

The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme has been running for some years. It provides up to £315 to provide insulation and draught proofing for homes that need it. The groups who qualify are those who get means-tested benefits such as income support, housing benefit or council tax benefit as well as those who get certain disability benefits. They can qualify for a grant towards ONE home improvement measure chosen from

• Loft insulation
• Cavity wall insulation
• Draught-proofing
• Heating control upgrades

Plus

• Two energy efficient light bulbs,
• A hot water tank jacket, and
• Energy advice

People aged 60 or more who do NOT get one of the qualifying benefits can get 25% of the cost up to a maximum of £78.75. Relatively few people have taken up this minimum grant and it will be abolished from April.

In May, the Department of Environment, Transport, and the Regions issued a consultation paper on improving this scheme. And the fruits of that consultation were what the Ministers announced at the Labour conference in September. However, they failed to point out one thing. Although the UK parliament is providing more money for home energy schemes throughout the UK - £300 million over two years - Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own schemes now. And with devolution, the Scottish and Welsh schemes may end up rather different from the scheme in England.

The New Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

The plans for the new scheme in England

• Extend help with insulation to disabled people,
• Increase the maximum grant to £700 (£1000 for those with the most expensive forms of heating)
• Provide central heating for some older people, within a maximum grant raised to £2000, and
• Add on security devices for some older people in high crime areas.

But they also exclude a lot of people.

• People under 60 on means-tested benefits without children
• People over 60 who are not on a means-tested benefit or disabled will NOT get anything when the new scheme starts (April or June 2000).
• Security devices are only being given out in some high crime areas
• Tenants of councils and housing associations will find there is less chance of getting the grant. The bulk of the money for the new Home Energy Efficiency Scheme will be targeted on private rented and owner-occupied homes. A separate scheme will fit central heating in council and housing association homes.

The Government identified some problems with the existing scheme. The grants do not all go to the people who needed them most - those called the 'fuel poor' who spend a high proportion of their income on fuel but still do not keep warm enough to stay healthy. The new scheme is intended to reach people whom the old scheme ignored, to give them more money, and in the case of some over-60s, to provide them with central heating.

The new Home Energy Efficiency Scheme new scheme will help three sorts of household

• Where there are children AND a means-tested benefit such as income support, housing benefit or council tax benefit
• Where someone gets a disability related benefit such as attendance allowance or severe disablement allowance.
• Where someone is aged 60 or more AND there is a means-tested benefit such as income support, housing benefit or council tax benefit

The first two groups will get a tailored package to provide the insulation and improvements to the heating system that are needed. The maximum grant will be £700 for households using mains gas, solid fuel, oil or off-peak electricity for their heating and £1000 for homes which are heated using paraffin, bottled gas or on-peak electricity.

The third group, the over 60s on means-tested benefits, will get the same deal. But if they do not have central heating, then they can a bigger grant - up to a total of £2000 altogether. That will enable them to install modern central heating for the main living areas such as the sitting room and bedroom. The total cost will be limited to £1300, but the government says that is enough for a modern, efficient boiler. The only drawback with this part of the scheme is that if you move within seven years you - or your landlord if it is private rented accommodation - will have to repay the balance of the cost which will be spread over seven years. So if you move after three years, you will have to repay around £750. After seven years, or if you should die within seven years, there will be no charge.

On top of the heating measures, people in the over-60s group who live in what the government calls 'High crime areas' will also get a survey of the security of their home and be given locks and bolts if they need them. The Home Office was very vague about how a 'high crime area' would be defined. 'You'll know if you live in one' a spokeswoman told Saga Magazine. Altogether, just over half of the people who get help under the new HEES will get security advice as well worth on average around £75 a home. The scheme applies in England and Wales only.

WALES

The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme in Wales is currently like the existing scheme in England. It is now the responsibility of the new National Assembly for Wales and it has been consulting on improving the scheme, along similar lines to the plans in England. The Assembly expected to debate the changes before the winter for implementation next year.

SCOTLAND

An improved version of the existing Home Energy Efficiency Scheme is already in place in Scotland. Called Warm Deal, it gives grants of up to £500 to people, including those over 60, who get a means-tested benefit or a disability benefit. There may be further improvements next year but no decision has been taken by the Scottish Parliament.

NORTHERN IRELAND

The Domestic Energy Efficiency Scheme is slightly different from the schemes in Great Britain offering loft insulation and draught-proofing up to a maximum of £305 for people who own their own homes or rent from a private landlord. A new scheme is being considered for next year. For more information ring the Energy Action Grant Agency on 0800 181 667.

WHERE TO GO FOR MORE INFORMATION

For help throughout the UK ring 0800 512012 to be put through to your local Energy Advice Centre. For information about the existing scheme in England, Wales, or Scotland ring Eaga Ltd which runs the scheme for the Government on 0800 072 0150.

December 1999

e-mail Paul Lewis on paul@paullewis.co.uk