WITH winter just a few short months away, benefit claimants in Worcestershire and across the Midlands are being offered free replacement boilers to help keep their homes warm.

Worcester-based White’s Plumbing Services Ltd is offering the free boilers under the government’s Affordable Warmth Scheme, which is working to help out people who may struggle to afford the cost of heating in the winter months.

People on a range of benefits including Child Tax Credit, Job Seeker’s Allowance and state pension credits are eligible for the scheme as long as they meet specific criteria, which vary according to the benefit in question.

The company’s commercial director Chris White said the scheme, which is being run in conjunction with manufacturers Vaillant Boilers, had been a roaring success since it launched in June.

“We’ve been receiving about 80 calls a week since it started,” he said.

“We’ve been doing 12 a day, every day, for the past 10 weeks.”

Once a resident applies for the scheme an employee of White’s Plumbing Services visits their home to examine the current boiler and make sure all the benefits paperwork is in order.

Once renewable energy company 1 Green Place has visited the home to book an Energy Performance Certificate the installation can go ahead.

Mr White said: “It takes from one to four weeks, depending on the information. One order we had only took three days.”

He added the scheme is also open to landlords whose tenants claim benefits, saying: “We’ve got one landlord who’s got about 180 properties and about half of them have now got free boilers through this scheme.

“The biggest obstacle for us has been convincing people that it really is free. We get a lot of people saying ‘what’s the catch?’ but there isn’t one - if you qualify it’s completely free.”

To find out more or apply call 01905 828 338 or visit whitesplumbing.co.uk