MP celebrates 6 years of Warm Front in Heywood and Middleton

Philippe Taillefer, Managing Director of Eaga's Government Contracts Division with Jim Dobbin MP

Jim Dobbin MP is celebrating the work of the Warm Front scheme in Heywood and Middleton. Warm Front, which combats fuel poverty by installing heating and insulation measures into the homes of vulnerable people, has now been running for over six years and has so far assisted 3688 households in Heywood and Middleton - a total spend of £2,668,078 in the area.

Mr Dobbin said: “Far too many local people are struggling to heat their homes, often at serious risk to their health and during times of price increases.   The Warm Front scheme is here precisely to help vulnerable people make their homes warm – it’s a fantastic programme that we should be taking advantage of."

Also offered to clients applying for the Warm Front scheme is the opportunity to undergo a check to see if they are in receipt of all the benefits to which they are entitled. Benefit Entitlement Checks (BEC) have been operating as part of Warm Front since June 2003, with the average weekly increase per client in Heywood and Middleton being found as £21.93

The scheme manager, Eaga Group, has also reported 290 households in Heywood and Middleton have benefited from a brand new central heating system and a further 490 have received repairs to broken or condemned boilers since June 2000. An additional 2959 households will make savings from having had their home insulated.

In terms of vulnerable groups of people who have been helped by Warm Front grants, Eaga Group has reported that 436 households with children under the age of four, 994 households on DLA, and 1861 households over the age of 60 in Heywood and Middleton have benefited from improvements to their homes.

To qualify, householders need to own their own home or rent from a private landlord, and they also need to be in receipt of an income or disability related benefit. Local residents can contact the Warm Front team on 0800 316 6014 to apply for a grant.