An online portal for a one-off £400 payment to help people with winter energy bills is now open and accepting applications from households across Scotland, England and Wales. A telephone helpline is also available for those without access to the internet to apply for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF).
The UK Government is urging all eligible households to apply as soon as possible for their support, but also warning people to “stay alert to potential scams” and report them to relevant authorities where they are suspected. It said: “The government will never provide any links to the application portal, or directly ask individuals to apply for the £400 support.”
It added that anyone who might need additional support applying for the one-off payment should ask a family member or trusted friend for help. The non-repayable lump sum will be delivered by local authorities and aims to provide financial support to around 900,000 households without a direct relationship with a domestic electricity supplier.
