MSE News: Households to get £400 boost to help with rising energy bills

wolvoman

On the DLA £150, I can't see anything relating to whether you're eligible if a child in the household is the disabled one or is it based on whether anyone is registered disabled?
And do households with multiple disableds get multiple awards (given energy costs rise proportionately)?

NedS

[Deleted User] said:

porter098 said:

So the £650 pounds per household, is that per household as long as one person in the household is getting UC or is that per person if more than one person is getting UC and if more than one person is getting UC and it’s per household who gets the grant?

I read it £650 pounds per household NOT per person.

I don't see how they could implement that (easily). The only way I see it being feasible is for it to be a payment of £650 for all eligible claims (as opposed to households). That means a single UC/JSA etc claimant gets £650. A joint couple claim would also receive £650. But equally, a couple claiming UC (and receiving £650), with 3 adult children all living at home and with their own UC claims would also each receive £650 (£650 for mum and dad, plus £650 each for each adult child also living at home and claiming UC/JSA).

Where there is more than one eligible claim per household, how would they determine who is responsible for the energy bills?

What about 4 young people living together, each with a claim, and each responsible for part of the bills?

TobyRussell

wolvoman said:

TobyRussell said:

Is there any way this payment onto our energy accounts is going to prevent owners of second homes receiving an additional £400? It seems pretty unfair that wealthier people who can afford holiday homes should get additional money they almost certainly don't need (or at least not need to the same extent as everyone else)

There probably is a way, but would likely cost more than the £400 it would save.

In any case, the focus of these measures is surely to help those who need it, not punish those who don't.

Oh I've nothing against helping those who need it, I just think there should be a mechanism to ensure those who have more than one electrticity/gas contract have to pay back the extra. I have 1 house but 2 freeholds and 2 electricity supplies so it looks like I will get £800. That doesn't seem fair.

Most MPs will be very happy with their second homes.

Perhaps adding a line to the annual tax self assessment form to declare the additional amount would be a good way to reclaim this overpayment.

Spoonie_Turtle

CLMK99 said:

We have an oil tank.
We just filled it up, should last just over a year but the cost went up by £500, to £700 so we had to take out a loan.

Our electricity payments are cheap. We aren't worried about those, so are we going to be £400 in credit with our electricity supplier or is there any way we can get that money to put back on the loan we needed to take out to run the house for a year?

I suppose it depends on whether your energy supplier is one that allows people to 'withdraw' credit from their account.  (Octopus does but I don't know about any others.)

confused.com2

Certainly be grateful for the £400 towards energy costs. Unsure about the help on benefits and if we'll be entitled. Me and the wife have a child tax credit claim but due to our income exceeding the threshold this tax year we are getting a zero award, but the letter says we are still entitled to child tax and working tax credits. So unsure about it!

porter098

NedS said:

[Deleted User] said:

porter098 said:

So the £650 pounds per household, is that per household as long as one person in the household is getting UC or is that per person if more than one person is getting UC and if more than one person is getting UC and it’s per household who gets the grant?

I read it £650 pounds per household NOT per person.

I don't see how they could implement that (easily). The only way I see it being feasible is for it to be a payment of £650 for all eligible claims (as opposed to households). That means a single UC/JSA etc claimant gets £650. A joint couple claim would also receive £650. But equally, a couple claiming UC (and receiving £650), with 3 adult children all living at home and with their own UC claims would also each receive £650 (£650 for mum and dad, plus £650 each for each adult child also living at home and claiming UC/JSA).

Where there is more than one eligible claim per household, how would they determine who is responsible for the energy bills?

What about 4 young people living together, each with a claim, and each responsible for part of the bills?

I think using the word household instead of claimant is not helpful.

The_Green_Hornet

GaleSF63 said:

superkoopauk said:

It's a big improvement on the previous proposal.  I would still like the option for the well off to refuse the £400 which could then be redistributed among the most in need perhaps at the start of next year?

The kind of people who would refuse the payment are the kind who would hopefully donate it. Some will anyway. 

Mine will go to the local off licence.

Spoonie_Turtle

NedS said:

[Deleted User] said:

porter098 said:

So the £650 pounds per household, is that per household as long as one person in the household is getting UC or is that per person if more than one person is getting UC and if more than one person is getting UC and it’s per household who gets the grant?

I read it £650 pounds per household NOT per person.

I don't see how they could implement that (easily). The only way I see it being feasible is for it to be a payment of £650 for all eligible claims (as opposed to households). That means a single UC/JSA etc claimant gets £650. A joint couple claim would also receive £650. But equally, a couple claiming UC (and receiving £650), with 3 adult children all living at home and with their own UC claims would also each receive £650 (£650 for mum and dad, plus £650 each for each adult child also living at home and claiming UC/JSA).

Where there is more than one eligible claim per household, how would they determine who is responsible for the energy bills?

What about 4 young people living together, each with a claim, and each responsible for part of the bills?

Could it be as simple as as a yes/no question, 'does anyone in the household claim an eligible benefit'?

The WHD tended to be administered based on whether the account holder or a partner claimed, or if they had a disabled child, so there were mechanisms for confirming those already.

maisie_cat

MattMattMattUK said:

mark_cycling00 said:

Rural communities (Wales, Scottish highlands and others) who don't only have heating oil will not get anything to cover this cost. Northern Island will. 

Cynical person would think that the tories need the Unionist MPs in a future election but don't need to keep SNP or PC voters happy

They have electricity and will get the £400 via their electricity bill, the same as everyone else. 

That's correct as I see it, because very few people have no electricity regardless of what else we use to heat our homes.

NedS

Spoonie_Turtle said:

NedS said:

[Deleted User] said:

porter098 said:

So the £650 pounds per household, is that per household as long as one person in the household is getting UC or is that per person if more than one person is getting UC and if more than one person is getting UC and it’s per household who gets the grant?

I read it £650 pounds per household NOT per person.

I don't see how they could implement that (easily). The only way I see it being feasible is for it to be a payment of £650 for all eligible claims (as opposed to households). That means a single UC/JSA etc claimant gets £650. A joint couple claim would also receive £650. But equally, a couple claiming UC (and receiving £650), with 3 adult children all living at home and with their own UC claims would also each receive £650 (£650 for mum and dad, plus £650 each for each adult child also living at home and claiming UC/JSA).

Where there is more than one eligible claim per household, how would they determine who is responsible for the energy bills?

What about 4 young people living together, each with a claim, and each responsible for part of the bills?

Could it be as simple as as a yes/no question, 'does anyone in the household claim an eligible benefit'?

The WHD tended to be administered based on whether the account holder or a partner claimed, or if they had a disabled child, so there were mechanisms for confirming those already.

It says the £650 will be paid by DWP so I'm assuming it will be an automatic extra payment through the benefits system to anyone in receipt of a qualifying benefit. A blunt instrument, no further eligibility than that.