New energy bill help has been confirmed for UK households in the Budget.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has confirmed the UK households who won’t receive a £100 energy payment from January unless they ask for it.
The Government announced a new £100 Household Energy Payment for households in England in Wednesday’s Autumn Budget to help ease the pressure of rising energy costs. Up to 20 million households will be eligible for the payment, including an estimated 83% of fuel stressed households in England, and 88% of households in the bottom three income deciles.
Payments are due to roll out from January and households will be eligible if they are liable for council tax on, and live in, a property in Council Tax bands A to D as their main home.
Mr Burnham has confirmed that households paying by direct debit who live in qualifying Council Tax band will receive the £100 automatically and don’t need to do anything to claim it.
But if you don’t pay by direct debit, you’ll need to ask your local council for it. Households will be invited to apply for the £100 by their local council directly, with the Government confirming no one other than councils should get in touch asking you to claim the rebate.
Confirming how to claim the payment in a post on Facebook, Mr Burnham said: “If you’re looking for answers on our £100 energy bill payment, read this.
“If your home is in council tax bands A-D, we’re giving you £100 to help with your energy bills this winter. If you pay by direct debit, your council will invite you to apply directly. I know this won’t fix everything, but I want to do everything I can to help.”
Households that need to claim the £100 payment should only provide their personal information if they are certain it is their local council contacting them. If you’re unsure if a message is genuine, double check with your council. Information on eligibility and how to apply for help will be published on local council websites once arrangements are in place.
The Chancellor said in the Budget that additional funding would be given to devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and their governments will decide how best to provide it.
He called on the devolved governments to “do the same and give people of all nations in the UK breathing space on their energy bills this winter”.
Speaking during his Budget speech, Mr Healey said: “Let me say this to families at home. I know that with the conflict in the Middle East, rising energy bills are a real worry. I know that people look to Government at times like this, not to solve all their problems, but to give them a bit of breathing space.
“So today I’m taking one further step. This winter, for 20 million households in council tax bands A to D, I am announcing a £100 energy payment for households, paid directly into people’s bank accounts to deal with rising energy bills. That’s a £2.6 billion scheme to take the pressure off in the coldest months and see people through to the spring.”
The £100 energy payment comes alongside plans to scrap standing charges on gas bills for around 23 million homes and an extension of the previously announced VAT cut on electricity bills until July 2027, all of which were announced in the Autumn Budget.