The eligibility criteria for the Affordable Warmth Scheme has been changed to help more households in fuel poverty, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has announced.
The changes include:
• Increasing the income threshold from £20,000 to £23,000 and;
• Dis-applying of certain benefits from the calculation of income; namely Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Carer’s Allowance and Attendance Allowance.
Making the announcement Minister Hargey said: "Since the inception of the Affordable Warmth Scheme in September 2014, over £85m has been invested to improve energy efficiency for more than 19,500 low income households.
"I have approved changes to the eligibility criteria for the Affordable Warmth Scheme so that more households in need can access the support available through this innovative scheme.
"The changes will increase the income threshold and importantly will exclude some benefits from that income calculation."
The Minister concluded: "I am committed to helping homes most in need of energy efficiency improvements and I hope these changes to the Scheme criteria will help more low income households, particularly those homes occupied by people with disabilities."
The Affordable Warmth Scheme is the Executive’s main Scheme to target and assist low income owner-occupiers and householders who rent their home from a private landlord who are most at risk of fuel poverty.
The Scheme offers a range of energy efficiency improvement measures including loft, cavity and solid wall insulation, new and replacement heating systems and replacement windows where appropriate. It is a targeted scheme where local councils actively identify the most vulnerable households who can then benefit from improvements.
The Department has laid a Statutory Rule in the Assembly today, meaning the changes should be effective from 1 July 2021.
Construction News
10/06/2021
Affordable Warmth Scheme Eligibility Criteria Updated


02/07/2025
Construction is officially underway on the new Whitefield Community Fire Station, part of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service's (GMFRS) £38 million Estates Improvement Programme.
Led by Robertson Construction North West, the project will replace the former fire station on Bury New Road with

02/07/2025
Hull City Council has officially appointed Esh Construction to lead a major repair and strengthening programme on Drypool Bridge, one of the city's key transport links.
The project will be delivered in partnership with engineering consultancy Mason Clark Associates.
Work will begin on the south s

02/07/2025
Award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group has announced record financial results for the year ending 31 March 2025, marking its second consecutive year of historic growth.
The company reported a turnover of £1.15 billion and a pre-tax profit of £90.5 million, completing more than 2,800 new homes a

02/07/2025
Women in Construction Anglia (WICA) and Suffolk Chamber of Commerce have voiced strong support for the government's new plans to increase the construction workforce by 100,000 people annually.
The announcement follows the launch of the first Construction Skills Mission Board, attended by Work and P

02/07/2025
Huddersfield Station will undergo a significant upgrade this autumn as part of the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), with a full 30-day closure scheduled from Saturday 30 August to Sunday 28 September 2025.
The closure represents a major milestone in the delivery of a faster, gr

02/07/2025
Procurement Hub, part of Places for People (PfP), has confirmed a two-year extension of its flagship Major Projects Framework 2 (MPF2), extending its term until 2028 after achieving more than £300 million in social value since its launch in 2022.
Designed to deliver a more efficient, equitable, and

02/07/2025
Two Galliford Try employees have received commendations at this year's British Ex-Forces in Business Awards, recognising their outstanding contributions and leadership within the construction industry after transitioning from military service.
Pam McNeill, Business Assurance Manager for Galliford T

02/07/2025
The government has announced a landmark £39 billion investment to deliver around 300,000 new social and affordable homes across the UK over the next decade, in a major bid to tackle the housing crisis and provide secure housing for families and children stuck in temporary accommodation.
Under the n

02/07/2025
Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is one of the most dangerous gases found in industrial environments.
Colourless, highly toxic, and often referred to as the "silent killer", it's particularly hazardous because it can quickly deaden the sense of smell, giving workers a false sense of security.
Even a

02/07/2025
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has welcomed the Construction Leadership Council's (CLC) new Health, Safety and Wellbeing Strategy, describing it as a much-needed step toward driving change across the construction industry.
FMB Chief Executive Brian Berry joined over 140 industry leaders at