The government has promised every household £400 to help pay their energy bills this winter, under a scheme which runs for six months from 1 October. The money is automatically credited to those paying by direct debit, but for traditional prepayment meters it’s more complicated. Each household has to wait for a £66 monthly voucher in the post, which can then be used to claim money off when topping up at the Post Office or shops with PayPoint.
However, weeks after the scheme launched, hundreds of thousands of families have not yet redeemed their vouchers, meaning support worth £80m is still unclaimed. Some families may not have claimed the help, but many say their vouchers just have not been sent out.
