Staffordshire Warmer Homes Warm Homes: Local Grant eligibility
The Staffordshire Warmer Homes programme helps eligible residents access free heating and insulation upgrades through the Warm Homes: Local Grant, and is currently open for new applications.
We are expecting a lot of interest in this new scheme and as a result applications are prioritised to ensure those most at risk from living in a cold home receive help first.
Who can apply?
You can qualify for the 'Warm Homes: Local Grant' if:
- your total household income is £36,000 or less, or you receive means-tested benefits (for example, Universal Credit, Pension Credit, or Income Support)
- or you are vulnerable to cold, experiencing problem debt or financial hardship. If you are unsure, please call for further information.
You must also live in Staffordshire and have a home that is difficult or expensive to heat and needs energy-saving improvements
The scheme is open to homes connected to the gas network (on-gas) or not connected to the gas network (off-gas), and to other fuel types, including electricity, oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and coal.
Eligibility will be checked and confirmed by our customer journey support partner 'Community Home Solutions' when you apply.
There are limited circumstances where households with an income greater than £36,000.00 may also be eligible.
Easily apply online or call 0115 7158 1822 for help completing your application. (Standard call rates apply).
How we prioritise applications
To make sure support goes where it is needed most, we use a prioritisation process instead of a first-come, first-served system. This means we focus on households that would benefit the most in terms of health, wellbeing, and energy savings. This approach follows current public health evidence about who is most affected by living in a cold home.
Prioritisation summary
Staffordshire County Council is launching the Warmer Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) scheme to help residents make their homes warmer and healthier. Due to limited funding, not everyone who applies will be able to receive support.
This summary explains how we will decide who gets help first, aiming to support those who need it most.
The WH:LG scheme provides funding to improve home heating and energy efficiency for eligible households in Staffordshire. The goal is to reduce the health risks associated with living in cold homes, especially for those who are most vulnerable. Funding is available for approximately 284 homes between now and March 2028.
Guidance published by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero permits Local Authorities to manage over demand by not taking a first come first, served approach.
Our Prioritisation Approach
To make the biggest difference, we must focus on those most at risk from cold homes.
There are 3 pre-determined pathways for an individual to be eligible to apply for WH:LG.
Applications from these pathways will be prioritised as follows:
- Pathway 2 (Top Priority): Households where someone receives means-tested benefits, has poor health, and is in financial hardship.
- Pathway 3 (Second Priority): Households with low income after paying for housing, but not necessarily with health issues.
- Pathway 1 (Last Priority): Households living in areas identified as the lowest 20% income deprived, based on postcode, but without further evidence of vulnerability or low income
Addendum
Amendment to the original recommendation for scheme years 2 and 3. As of September 2026
1-Immediate crisis
Priority will be given to an eligible household:
- where a referring professional can clearly demonstrate that the household is in immediate financial crisis, or an immediate health/social care crisis.
- that can reasonably be expected to be mitigated by the installation of an energy efficiency measure, or low carbon heating
For example, excessive mould in the home of an under 5, which could be remedied by the introduction of ventilation and insulation. Such cases will be fast-tracked as far as possible, and referral made to the crisis and resilience fund for wider support
2- Poor Health
Within Pathway 2, and Pathway 3,
prioritisation within that cohort will be given to any household with a condition stated to be made worse by the cold as noted in NICE NG6.
This prioritisation takes precedence over the income reprioritisation noted in 4 below, due to the known impacts on health and social care costs.
3- Underrepresented areas
To provide equitable delivery across the county, cases without prioritisation may be processed in any order to rebalance under-representation for any given district or borough, which is not receiving its equitable share of funding.
4- High household income
For applicants through pathway 2.
Those whose Gross Household Income exceeds the income thresholds for pathway 3, will not be given any priority. They will be processed if there are not sufficient remaining pathway 2 and 3 applicants to fulfil the pipeline. This is in line with guidance produced by The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)
Process
Applications are managed by Community Home Solutions, who will check eligibility and follow the above approach.
Regular meetings with the Councils delivery teams will ensure the scheme is on track and that the right people are being helped.
This process will be continually monitored and formally reviewed every six months to make sure it remains effective and fair.
Further information
Further information about the Staffordshire Warmer Homes view the Warm Homes: Local Grants scheme