There is support under Leicester City Council for households are low income and also classed as vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home.

This set of criteria applies even if you do not currently receive any benefits.

Low Income Vulnerability can be categorised by having a low gross annual income for the household as well as having characteristics which class as being vulnerable to the effects of a cold home. This could be to do with medical conditions, disabilities or living situation.

Both criteria must be met in order to qualify.

The thresholds for household incomes can be seen in the table below.

In order to be eligible the income for the household must be below what is specified.

Vulnerability Criteria

Vulnerability is assessed from characteristics reflected by the National Institute for Health and Care excellence (NICE) 2015 guidance on excess winter deaths and illness associated with cold homes. There are also some additional characteristics which qualify, see below.

These include:

• Respiratory disease (COPD, severe asthma)
• Cardiovascular disease (e.g. ischemic heart
• disease, cerebrovascular disease)
• Moderate to severe mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia,
• bipolar disorder, depression)
• Dementia
• Neurobiological and related diseases (e.g. fibromyalgia, ME)
• Cancer
• Limited mobility
• Haemoglobinopathies (sickle cell disease, thalassemia)
• Muscular Skeletal problems (e.g. arthritis, osteoporosis)
• Autoimmune and immunodeficiency diseases (e.g. lupus,
• MS, diabetes, HIV) 
  

• People who move in and out of homelessness
• People with addictions
• People who have attended hospital due to a fall
• Recent immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees (if living in private tenure)
• People aged over 75
• Pregnant women
• Children under 5