HUNDREDS of thousands of households in Wales can apply for a one-off £200 cash payment to help pay for energy bills from today.
The support comes through the Fuel Support Scheme, launched by the Welsh government.
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Payments will be made to over 400,000 low-income households regardless of how they pay for their energy, including via pre-payment meter, direct debit, paying quarterly or those who use off-grid fuel.
The £200 will be made in addition to winter fuel payments being distributed by the UK government.
The Fuel Support Scheme is part of a £90 million support package to help vulnerable households in Wales through the cost of living crisis.
A statement on the Welsh government’s website said: “We understand the winter months can be the most difficult time of the year.
“Families shouldn’t have to choose between heating and eating.”
Who is eligible?
The scheme will be open to households where the applicant, or their partner, receives a qualifying benefit, and was receiving it between September 1, 2022, and January 31, 2023.
The full list of qualifying benefits includes:
- Income Support
- Income Based Job Seekers Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Working Tax Credits
- Child Tax Credits
- Pension Credit
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Attendance Allowance
- Carers Allowance
- Contributory Benefits
- Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- War Pension Mobility Supplement
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People applying for the money also need to be paying for the property’s energy bills.
How to apply
People will normally have to apply for the £200 through their local authority.
If you don’t know what local authority you fall under, you can find it here.
That means the application process will be different depending on where you live.
For example, Bridgend County Borough Council’s website says applications must be submitted before 5pm on February 2023 for households to receive a payment.
Residents in the area can apply for the scheme through the authority’s website.
Torfaen County Borough Council’s website says if it thinks you are eligible and you recently received a £150 cost of living payment, the payment will be made automatically into the bank account used to transfer that £150 payment.
Others will be contacted by the council to submit an online application through its website.
You should contact your local council to make sure you don’t miss out on the £200 payment if you are entitled to it.
What help can I get if I don’t like in Wales?
If you live outside of Wales there’s a range of support on offer for you.
In May, the government announced a raft of financial support for millions of households across the UK.
The payments include a £150 disability cost of living payment, £300 pensioner payment, £400 energy rebate and £650 cost of living payment.
The £650 cost of living payment has been split into two instalments of £326 and £324.
The first portion should have been paid to over eight million people already.
The remaining £324 should hit bank accounts later this autumn, although the Department for Work and Pensions has not yet confirmed a specific date.
For a list of all the key dates for the cost of living payments, you can read our guide.
You have just days left to apply for help through the Household Support Fund as well.
The fund comes from central government and has been allocated to local councils who have been deciding how and who to give it to.
However, another pot has been allocated to councils to distribute from next month until March 2023.
There’s also the Warm Home Discount scheme, which will see millions of households get £150 taken off their energy bills between December and March 2023.
You’ll be eligible for the discount if you were receiving certain benefits up to August 21 this year, including:
The cold weather payment is available to low income households if the weather gets below a certain temperature.
The payment is made automatically, including to people on Universal Credit, for each seven day period of low temperatures between November 1 and March 31.
You can see if your postcode has qualified for a payment here.
A whole host of energy suppliers, including British Gas, are offering grant and schemes to vulnerable households.
You can read our full list list here.
And you can always get free debt advice if you need help paying for bills.
Most of them can offer you free guidance and help in person, over the telephone or online.
