Spotting misleading grants and offers
Fake grants, "see if you qualify" forms and offers that borrow the language of government schemes. How they work and how to protect yourself.
3 min read
Most home improvement businesses are honest. But some websites, adverts and callers use misleading offers to get your details or your money. This guide explains the common tactics, so you can spot them and decide for yourself.
"See if you qualify"
You may have seen adverts like "See if you qualify for a free boiler" or "Check if you're eligible for new windows". They often look official, with flags, crests or words like "scheme", "government-backed" or "2026 grant".
Many of these are lead-generation forms. There's no grant or eligibility check behind them. Whatever you answer, the result is usually "Good news, you qualify!", and your details are then sold to one or more companies, sometimes many. That's why people who fill them in can receive calls for weeks.
Some real grants do exist, but they have published rules about who can get them. A genuine scheme can tell you exactly who runs it, what the rules are and where to check them independently.
We never use "see if you qualify" or anything like it. We ask questions so we can introduce the right specialists. There's nothing to qualify for, and we tell you exactly what happens to your details before you share them.
Fake and expired grants
Scammers like to borrow the names of real schemes, including ones that have closed. Common signs include:
- a "grant" offered by cold call, text, email or a knock at the door
- pressure to act today because "funding is running out"
- a fee to "process" or "unlock" the grant
- requests for your bank details, card details or National Insurance number up front
- a caller claiming to be from your council or the government
Government departments and councils don't cold call offering grants for home improvements, and you never need to pay a fee to receive a genuine grant. If a caller says they're from your council, hang up and call the council back on the number from its own website.
Offers that sound like government homebuying help
Some websites use phrases that sound like official homebuying or home improvement help, such as "the government will help you buy" or "the new state-backed scheme for homeowners". Some borrow the names and wording of schemes that have closed to new applicants.
Before you trust an offer like this:
- Check the address. Official UK government information is on GOV.UK, and council websites end in .gov.uk. A site called something like "government-grants-uk.com" is not the government.
- Search GOV.UK for the scheme's name. If it's real and still open, GOV.UK will explain it.
- Look up the company on Companies House. Check it exists, how long it has traded and whether its accounts are up to date.
- Find the small print. Look for who actually runs the site, what they do with your details and whether they're paid by the companies they pass you to.
Doorstep and cold-call offers
Watch out for anyone who:
- says they "happened to notice" a problem with your roof, windows or walls
- offers a big discount if you sign today
- asks for payment up front before any work starts
- discourages you from getting other quotes
You don't have to decide on the spot. Many contracts agreed in your home give you a 14-day cooling-off period, and an honest business will be happy for you to take time and compare quotes.
How to protect yourself
- Never give bank or card details to someone who contacted you out of the blue.
- Don't pay large sums up front. Ask how payments will be staged.
- Get more than one quote for the same work.
- Check the company is registered, insured and, where relevant, registered with a Competent Person Scheme.
- Take your time. Pressure to decide quickly is a warning sign in itself.
Where to report it
- Report Fraud (which replaced Action Fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland): reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
- Citizens Advice consumer helpline: 0808 223 1133. They can pass reports to Trading Standards.
- Misleading or scam adverts online: the Advertising Standards Authority's Scam Ad Alert.
- Scam texts: forward them free to 7726.
- Suspicious emails: forward them to report@phishing.gov.uk.
If you've lost money, contact your bank straight away. If you feel threatened by someone at your door, call 999.