A West Belfast woman says she has been left in limbo after her £600 energy support voucher was sent to the wrong address and cashed in by someone else.
Lagmore resident Janette moved into her home in Hazel Close last year, and assumed there would be a smooth delivery of her voucher. But with the deadline for it to be spent looming, she fears that she may not get it at all.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Janette said she's had no other option but to reach out to political reps for advice.
READ MORE: Power NI £600 vouchers to be reissued after cancellations for some customers
"My voucher was sent to the wrong address, and it has been spent," Janette said.
"Some of my neighbours are going through similar, where theirs have been sent to the wrong address. This home is a new-build but I have been in it nearly a year now. My neighbour said hers was sent to an address that doesn't exist.
"I phoned up and it took me nearly two days to get through to Electric Ireland. I gave them my meter number and they read out the address it was sent to, which wasn't mine. They were able to tell me where it was cashed in.
"I had to then get the police invovled. I have been left without, and I was really relying on that money to help me get through. I have been paying my electric every week here for a year, I don't know how this happened.
"The police said hopefully I can get the money back, but that is no good to me right now because I haven't heard anything more.
"I've had to borrow money, on the strength that I will get this £600 - I am relying on this. We are stuck in limbo."
In relation to Janette's case, a PSNI spokesperson told Belfast Live that they are investigating.
They confirmed that a 29-year-old man and 26-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation on Wednesday February 8.
"Both have been released on bail to allow for further enquiries which are ongoing," they added.
People Before Profit councillor Michael Collins and Gerry Carroll MLA say they have been inundated with calls from West Belfast residents who have not yet received the payment.
"Countless residents have contacted us because they still haven’t received their vouchers, with some seemingly going missing,” cllr Collins said.
"This has become a particular issue in new-build housing estates, including newer parts of Lagmore, where addresses are not as well established. Residents are being put through the wringer by energy companies, which are refusing to accept responsibility for this mess. These are the same companies that are profiting from the cost-of-living crisis."
Gerry Carroll MLA added: “This ordeal is putting more pressure on working class households. Energy companies are raking in money off the back of the Energy Support Scheme. The buck must stop with them.
"We will keep up the pressure on behalf of our constituents, who should not have to suffer the mistakes of these energy giants."
Electric Ireland told Belfast Live: "Electric Ireland is aware of a small number of cases where customers have experienced issues with voucher delivery. Where these individual issues arise, we are working with the relevant parties to resolve them."
A spokesperson for the Post Office said: "The Post Office’s role throughout this scheme has been to help customers redeem their vouchers in branches. All 500,000 energy vouchers, issued on behalf of the Government to households in Northern Ireland, have been dispatched. The roll-out was completed, ahead of schedule, earlier this month and the latest data released reveals 90% of the vouchers have been redeemed.
"Post Office worked with energy companies in organising the time frame of the mail-out of the vouchers which took place in tranches.
"Postmasters across Northern Ireland have been working hard to help people to redeem their vouchers and deposit their cash quickly and efficiently in branches and the success of the rollout highlights the important role post offices play within their local communities.
"The Post Office is now urging anyone who has not yet redeemed their voucher to do so and to ensure they bring the correct forms of identification with them. If someone has not received their voucher, they should contact their energy provider directly."
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