So the discretionary fund is.....**drumroll**.......£100 measly quid!?

fabsaver

Possibly a key take away from this for some is that electricity is not an "alternative fuel" - you have to be using something other than gas or electricity to get the payment. Many would have assumed this, but now it is explicit.

I'm in a no mains gas postcode and the majority of the houses in my postcode appear to use something other than electricity for heating. If that is confirmed by the census data then I'm assuming (hoping) than I'll get the payment automatically in February.

Am I correct in thinking that if that happens it will be paid automatically to all houses in this postcode, even the ones that do solely use electricity for their heating?

Goldie99

fabsaver said:

Am I correct in thinking that if that happens it will be paid automatically to all houses in this postcode, even the ones that do solely use electricity for their heating?

If I understand it correctly, no - I think the non-mains gas postcodes will get cross-referenced against data from the last 2021 UK census, which specifically asked which heating fuel(s) each household used.

 

mmmmikey

My apologies for contradicting you @Goldie99 - I have understand it differently, but I'm happy to be corrected....

The census data is not published or used at an individual household level, it is grouped into "LSOA" areas which vary in size geographically and have different numbers of postcode areas within them. It is these areas that the BEIS is using to decide whether you're in a "non-gas but mostly using electricity" area. So if @fabsaver is in a non-gas LSOA (area) where most of the households identified themselves as using something other than electricity as there main form of heating on the relevant census return then @fabsaver should get the payment automatically regardless of whether they actually use electricity for heating or not.

At least that's how I understand it

fabsaver

Goldie99 said:

fabsaver said:

Am I correct in thinking that if that happens it will be paid automatically to all houses in this postcode, even the ones that do solely use electricity for their heating?

If I understand it correctly, no - I think the non-mains gas postcodes will get cross-referenced against data from the last 2021 UK census, which specifically asked which heating fuel(s) each household used.

 

From the earlier post the data matching point 'c' seems to indicate that the census data is at postcode level not individual household level. It they try to match the census data at individual household level then we're not going to get paid this February, maybe next!

It seems so unnecessarily complicated 

mmmmikey

fabsaver said:

Goldie99 said:

fabsaver said:

Am I correct in thinking that if that happens it will be paid automatically to all houses in this postcode, even the ones that do solely use electricity for their heating?

If I understand it correctly, no - I think the non-mains gas postcodes will get cross-referenced against data from the last 2021 UK census, which specifically asked which heating fuel(s) each household used.

 

From the earlier post the data matching point 'c' seems to indicate that the census data is at postcode level not individual household level. It they try to match the census data at individual household level then we're not going to get paid this February, maybe next!

It seems so unnecessarily complicated 

The census data is private in it's nature and not used at either individual level or postcode level. Some postcode areas only have 1 or 2 houses and if it were published or used at that level (for whatever reason) then you could link the data back to a household which would be a breach of the confidentiality that is needed for accurate census data. So the census data is grouped into larger areas called LSOA's which include maybe 1000 or so households and that way you can tell what is happening in an area without tying it to an individual.

Although it sounds complicated, given that the data already exists it's probably a fairly straightforward way of making sure most people get paid automatically without overpaying too many people.

For anyone who isn't paid this way but is entitled to the AFP then the complexity will hinge on the process for applying via the online portal, and we don't know what that will be yet. Others will automatically get the payment and a lucky few will get the payment even though their not entitled to it, which I guess is a price worth paying for making the payment automatic for as many people as possible.

Spoonie_Turtle

For those of us in non-gas areas with a mix of fuels used for heating in the homes locally,  it's probably best just to assume if you're all-electric you won't get it.  If you do, great, if not, no disappointment.

gbhxu

MrsPorridge said:

Anybody heard when we might get this payment please?

By what I can gather form another forum, it will be paid at the same time you get the next £67 electricity payment.

But don't hold your breath

maisie_cat

dunstonh said:

maisie_cat said:

Thank you @mmmmikey for that, I suspect that we'll have to apply then, the village two miles away has gas but our address with no supply is the village name as well.

I would have through the postcode changes over that distance.   

The ioserve "off gas" postcode list is here: https://www.xoserve.com/a-to-z/  (scroll down to off-gas) and the spreadsheet shows all the postcodes.      For those that are not used to spreadsheets, press CTRL F to bring a find box up and type in your full postcode).

Thank you so much, I've been trying to find that info for ages.

lohr500

dunstonh said:

maisie_cat said:

Thank you @mmmmikey for that, I suspect that we'll have to apply then, the village two miles away has gas but our address with no supply is the village name as well.

I would have through the postcode changes over that distance.   

The ioserve "off gas" postcode list is here: https://www.xoserve.com/a-to-z/  (scroll down to off-gas) and the spreadsheet shows all the postcodes.      For those that are not used to spreadsheets, press CTRL F to bring a find box up and type in your full postcode).

In my case, although we are half a mile away from the main road where gas is laid on, our postcode is not listed in the "off-gas" spreadsheet. Our closest neighbours are on gas. So it looks like we will have to apply through the ATP scheme whenever that becomes available .

Apodemus

mmmmikey said:

...given that the data already exists it's probably a fairly straightforward way of making sure most people get paid...

One added complication, though, is that Scotland didn't conduct the Census until 2022, so the data may not all be available as yet.