The Cavity Wall Insulation Scandal - Stories of the victims

Thousands of homeowners were faced with mouldy homes, devastating debts and an epidemic of asthma. These homeowners signed up to a supposed no win no fee compensation claim for government sponsored insulation that failed in their properties. In this exclusive Shots! TV documentary, we search for answers and look at the impact this scandal has had on UK residents. Watch Damp Proof: The Cavity Wall Insulation Scandal to learn more.

In the episode, insulation victim Sharon Lord explained that she got cavity wall insulation in 2014 and it was canvassed in the area as government-funded. She said that the companies implementing the scheme were backed by the government, and applying for the funds on the residents’ behalf.

It was part of an eco-grant that the government was trying to push for, and Sharon thought she was doing the right thing by having the insulation put into her property. She said: “I obviously assumed that they knew what they were doing. They worked for the government. They’d been vetted. Plain and simple.”

Another insulation victim, Ian Lofthouse said that the local houses didn’t have any damp at the time, but the homes were around 130-years-old, so he thought that the insulation might be necessary. Ian said: “Because it was a government grant I thought, yeah, why not? We didn’t have any damp, but because the houses were that old, I thought we might need it.” He explained that suddenly after the cavity wall insulation was installed, his home started becoming damp.

Homeowners were stuck with no hope in mouldy properties, until a law firm promised a way out. They said the government had put in the wrong cavity wall insulation, and they promised them a no win, no fee claim. But the victims were later persuaded to drop their cases. The scandal took another turn for the worst when homeowners were asked to fork out thousands of pounds to pay for the damages created by the poor cavity wall installation they received.

You can watch the full episode to learn more about the Cavity Wall Insulation Scandal and the stories of its victims. Go to Shots! TV or tune into Freeview channel 262 and Freely channel 565 for more gripping documentaries. Keep up with our latest episodes by signing up to Shots TV! Newsletter here.