As nearly a million people wait to receive help with their energy bills amid the cost of living crisis, the UK Government has confirmed that the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) is currently in its pilot phase. According to reports, it will be accepting live applications in some pilot local authority areas ahead of a nationwide rollout next week.
Most households in England, Scotland and Wales receive a £400 fuel discount automatically. However, those who pay for energy through a landlord, housing manager or site owner, and those who live in a park home, houseboat or are off the electricity grid, have to apply for the discount.
As the roll-out of the live application process begins, Energy and Climate Minister Graham Stuart MP said this is helping to “refine the end-to-end user journey before full scheme launch”. He also said that the online application portal, and accompanying contact centre helpline, will be open to all eligible households by next Monday, February 27.
According to Daily Record, Mr Stuart said: “The Government is working closely with local authorities to ensure they are suitably prepared to provide this support by this date.”
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The one-off, non-repayable lump sum payment of £400 will be delivered by local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. The aim is to provide financial support to around 900,000 households who don't have a direct relationship with a domestic electricity supplier. This will bring those in the categories details above, such as people living in a park home or houseboat, in line with the 29 million households across Great Britain who are already receiving monthly discounts of £66/£67 through the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS).
The £400 payment portal was due to open last month, but following a pilot launch in a limited number of local council areas it was decided to delay the nationwide rollout until “significant complexities” had been resolved.
Mr Stuart said last week: “The Government is still working through several aspects of the scheme that are vital for its successful delivery." Continuing: "There are significant complexities in delivering a novel scheme with a wide variety of eligible groups with different energy arrangements.
“In addition, the Government must always ensure consumers are protected, public money is well spent, including robust verification and anti-fraud checks, and that local authorities are suitably prepared to deliver the support.
“The online application portal, and accompanying contact centre helpline for those without online access, will be launched by 27 February.”
Household eligible to claim the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding
Online applications are scheduled to open on Monday, February 27. Eligible applicants will need to submit their details so that the application can be processed.
Payments to households that meet the eligibility criteria - including people who get their energy through a commercial contract or who are off-grid - will be made by local authorities in Great Britain.
The UK Government said this is likely to include:
- care home residents
- park home residents
- tenants in certain private and social rented homes
- homes supplied via private wires
- residents of caravans and houseboats on registered sites
- farmers living in domestic farmhouses
- off-grid households
Once households have applied to receive support and their applications have been processed and verified, eligible applicants' details will be shared with local authorities who will deliver the one-off, non-repayable support "this winter".
Pilot areas now open for applications
Non of the Nottingham or Nottinghamshire councils are in the piliot areas. At the moment, you can only apply if your local council is:
- Chichester District Council
- West Suffolk Council
- Wrexham County Borough Council
Glasgow City Council
Before you start the process online you will need
- an email address and phone number (if you have one)
- your bank account details (a UK current account in your name)
Applicants will only be able to submit information through the GOV.UK portal when it opens this month and should not contact their local authority directly as they will not be able to offer any more information. The UK Government also said that the exact date that an eligible household will receive support will depend on when the application is made and when the payment can be processed by the relevant local authority. You can find full details on the payment on the application portal at GOV.UK here.
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