UK Housing Associations Call for Second Chance for 750,000 Households to Receive Energy Bill Support
More than 30 of Britain’s largest housing associations have written a letter to ministers, urging them to reopen a scheme that would provide support for energy bills to 750,000 households who missed out on government assistance worth a total of £300m. The housing associations, which collectively provide homes for 1.5 million individuals, have requested an extension of the deadline to allow these households to claim the support payment of £400.
The original scheme, aimed at offering assistance to nearly one million households without an energy supplier, automatically provided the support payment to most homes in Britain through a discount on their energy bills. However, certain types of residences like care homes, narrowboats, and park homes were excluded from this support as they do not directly pay energy bills to a supplier. The housing associations argue that only 16% of eligible households were able to make their claim by the original deadline of 31 May and have proposed a new deadline of 31 December.
The letter, addressed to Amanda Solloway MP (Minister for Energy Consumers) and Lord Callanan (Minister for Energy Efficiency), was signed by notable housing associations such as Clarion, Places for People, L&Q, Peabody, and Riverside. Riverside conducted a survey of its customers last year, which revealed that almost two-thirds were struggling to pay their energy bills, with approximately one-third relying on the £400 government support payment to manage rising energy costs.
The government has closed the previous energy bill support scheme in favor of targeted schemes for the most vulnerable in society. These include a £900 payment for those on means-tested benefits, £300 for pensioners, and an additional £150 for disabled individuals. However, it is estimated that around 1.7 million households will not receive support because they are not registered for benefits.
The housing associations’ letter also emphasized the need for eligible customers who use home heating from a heat network to be able to access payments through the government’s Warm Home Discount. This scheme provides a one-off discount of £150 on winter energy bills for households receiving pension benefits or with low income and high energy costs. However, households that do not directly pay energy bills to a supplier may miss out on this discount.
The housing associations have called on the government to collaborate with Ofgem (the industry regulator) and energy suppliers to extend support to those most in need this coming winter. In response, a government spokesperson stated that energy prices have improved since the autumn statement, benefiting households with lower energy bills. The government is monitoring the situation and considering options, including for vulnerable households.
