People in receipt of these Social Welfare payments qualify for home upgrades

There are currently seven social welfare payments that could make you eligible for free home upgrades.

This is under the Warmer Homes Scheme and you must meet all four criteria to apply.

The upgrades offered include: attic insulation, cavity wall insulation, external wall insulation, internal wall insulation and smaller measures such as lagging jackets, draught proofing and energy efficient lighting.

1. You must own and live in your own home. This must be your main residence, where you live most days of the week. You will be asked to provide proof of ownership when you apply.

2. Your home was built and occupied before 2006. This means the ESB meter was connected and property lived in prior to 2006.

3. You receive one of the following eligible welfare payments. You do not need to provide proof of your payment unless contacted for additional information.

1. Fuel Allowance as part of the National Fuel Scheme
2. Job Seekers Allowance for over six months and have child under seven years of age
3. Working Family Payment
4. One-Parent Family Payment
5. Domiciliary Care Allowance
6. Carers Allowance and live with the person you are caring for
7. Disability Allowance for over six months and have a child under seven years of age

Some homes may not qualify because not all homes are suitable for all measures, and the upgrades recommended will depend on the condition and construction of your home.

4. Your home must be suitable for improvements based on a home survey.

At the moment, it can take up to 24 months from when you apply until works on your home are fully completed.

To ensure fairness for everyone who has applied, all applications are processed in the order they are received, and it is not possible to move ahead of others in the queue.

Homeowners in receipt of certain welfare payments can now apply for higher individual grants to help pay for attic and wall insulation, while keeping their position on the Warmer Homes scheme.

You can choose your SEAI registered contractor to carry out the work. Please note, homeowners pay upfront for the works and are then refunded the grant amount.Available grants include:

• Up to €2,300 for wall insulation
• Up to €2,500 for attic insulation

More information on the grant and how to apply can be found here.