Thousands can get up to £350 direct to bank accounts to help with energy bills – check if you can apply | The Sun
THOUSANDS can get an extra £350 to go towards essential costs this spring.
The cash comes as part of Powys Council's Fuel Support Scheme, which grants funding to vulnerable homes.
As the cost of living rises and the cold weather continues, most councils are dishing out support to help households pay for essentials.
In England, the cash comes from a £421million pot called the Household Support Fund, allowing hard-up homes to get help with food, energy bills and fuel costs.
But Powys Council in Wales has its own fuel scheme which grants the lowest income families a maximum payment of £350 to go towards fuel bills.
Here's how it works.
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Who's eligible?
Any household receiving one of the following benefits could be entitled to a one-off £200 payment from the council:
- Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS)
- Income Support
- Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Working Tax Credits
- Child Tax Credits
- Pension Credit
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer's Allowance including anyone on underlying entitlement to Carers Allowance but who don't receive any money due to the overlapping benefit rules
- Contributory Based/New Style Jobseekers Allowance
- Contributory Based/New Style Employment and Support Allowance
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- War Pension Mobility Supplement
You'll need to have received them between September 1, 2022 and January 31, 2023 to be eligible.
You might also be able to claim the cash if a child or dependent adult living with you receives one of these:
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- Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- War Pension Mobility Supplement
There's also a chance to claim an extra £150 if you live off the gas grid, making your total maximum payment £350.
Please note you can only claim one payment per property and you must be liable to pay Council Tax.
If you're not, the person who claims must be the one paying for energy bills.
How do I apply?
If you've been in receipt of the Council Tax Reduction Scheme or the Unpaid Carers Grant scheme, you'll be contacted directly to apply.
If not, you'll need to apply through the council website yourself.
Here's what you'll need when applying:
- National Insurance Number(s)
- date of birth
- Council Tax Reduction Scheme Claim reference number (if you receive this)
- fuel provider name and reference number
- Council Tax reference number (if you have one)
- If you don't pay Council Tax, a copy of your most recent energy bill or invoice to upload (as a PDF document)
- If you don't pay Council Tax at the property and have a prepayment meter, you'll need the most recent email confirmation of a recent prepayment top up and a scanned copy of a Pay point receipt
If you're successful, you'll be paid as soon as possible.
The deadline for all payments to be made is during March 2023.
You'll get an email when a payment is due to be made soon.
What if I don't live in Powys?
Your local council will likely have its own version of the scheme going and you should get in contact with them to find out more.
But be quick – while the deadline for councils to hand out the latest tranche of HSF cash support is March 31, 2023, it's done on a first-come-first-serve basis.
For example, thousands of residents in Plymouth are due electronic vouchers to help pay for food and other essentials at supermarkets.
And eligible households can get up to £180 in free supermarket vouchers depending on their circumstances.
Thousands of residents in North Yorkshire are also due electronic supermarket vouchers worth up to £325.
What other support is available?
Millions on benefits and Universal Credit will receive an extra one-off £900.
Eight million households currently get cost-of-living payments worth up to £650, but eligibility criteria could change under any new rules.
Pensioners have also started getting a £300 one-off payment.
The current pensioner cost of living payment is being handed out to millions on a low income.
You qualify under the current rules if you normally get the winter fuel payment, but this could change under the new rules.
The £300 cost of living payment is paid on top of the other winter support.
You'll need to be:
- born on or before 25 September 1956
- have lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of 19 to 25 September 2022 in what is known as the "qualifying week"
Struggling families are eligible for the Warm House Discount to help them tackle the cost of living.
The scheme is where eligible households can get £150 off their electricity bill each winter – but you'll have to wait until the colder months to get the money off.
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Households in England and Wales don't need to apply to get the cash and they'll automatically qualify if they are receiving certain benefits.
You can read more about who's eligible in our guide.
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