ELIGIBILITY for the government's Warm Front scheme has changed, with additional benefits for successful applicants.

The Warm Front scheme provides heating and insulation improvements to households on income-related benefits in properties that are poorly insulated or don't have central heating.

Changes to the eligibility criteria and the rise in the SAP rating will mean thousands more households will qualify and could receive assistance from Warm Front.

Qualifying households can get improvements worth up to £3,500 (£6,000 where oil central heating and other alternative technologies are recommended).

Grants are available for improvements such as loft insulation, draught proofing, cavity wall insulation or hot water tank insulation.

The Warm Front scheme can also convert a solid-fuel open fire to a glass-fronted fire.

The main changes to the scheme are the introduction of Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit (both with an income of £15,860 or less) as qualifying benefits.

Where a person has parental responsibility for a child, the age has risen from 5 to under 16 (16 or over but under 20 and in full time education).

The other main change is that the SAP rating of the property has been raised from 55 to 63.