MSE News: £200 Alternative Fuel Payment to be paid 'in the New Year'

Davidt5000

RG2015 said:

The Gov.uk Alternative Fuel Payment portal is now open and I have submitted my application.

They say that they will access my claim and if successful my local council will pay me within 6 weeks.

Edit. To be more precise, they said they will let me know the outcome within 6 weeks and my council would pay me the £200 if my application was successful.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-alternative-fuel-bill-support-if-not-automatic

Yes I noticed that wording. Doesn't say if you are successful when exactly you will get it. I hope I'm wrong but from past experience I can see my council taking the full six weeks. With it also being a large rural area they are going to get a lot of applications going by the postcode data. I do feel for those desperate for this help.

Reed_Richards

Davidt5000 said:
And anyone who perhaps topped up in August 2022 ready for the winter would be excluded. As well as those delaying an order until they get the £200.

Presumably you are supposed to take out a loan as necessary, order your alternative fuel now, then use that receipt for the claim.

kar999

This is utter rubbish. There are loads of people who buy in Summer (pre Sept 22). Noone was asked for proof if they received the Allowance payment automatically via their electricity company.

AnnS

We pay for coal over the phone, going to have to ask for written receipts for past 2 deliveries. Going to be difficult for a lot of people to do an online form. 

kar999

Davidt5000 said:

kar999 said:

What a farce .. I last bought oil in 2021 and running on vapour now.....

The form can't be completed without uploading a receipt.

There must be many people who had sufficient oil and have held off topping up until now.

This needs fixing urgently.

And anyone who perhaps topped up in August 2022 ready for the winter would be excluded. As well as those delaying an order until they get the £200.

They can't do that. It's utter nonsense. It's common and sensible recommended practice to buy in the summer. I'm just going to submit my latest receipt and to hell with it. By the time those pour souls tasked with sorting this out at the council get around to it, common sense will have prevailed... And/or Martin Lewis will have made a few calls!

dunstonh

kar999 said:

What a farce .. I last bought oil in 2021 and running on vapour now.....

The form can't be completed without uploading a receipt.

There must be many people who had sufficient oil and have held off topping up until now.

This needs fixing urgently.

Oil is cheaper than it was this time last year and at a level that is within its normal range.   The AFP is largely a windfall bonus for oil users (although not for taxpayers).

So, nobody should be holding off because of this windfall payment, and anyone claiming to is being disingenuous (or has money problems due to other reasons).

Subzero2698

kar999 said:

This is utter rubbish. There are loads of people who buy in Summer (pre Sept 22). Noone was asked for proof if they received the Allowance payment automatically via their electricity company.

Exactly. Why have the suddenly decided that they need to see proof when if I had been in a different area I would have a) had this £200 in Feb instead of mid April b) automatically and c) without any of this proof nonsense.

For those of us who bought during August, this is especially irritating.

Davidt5000

AnnS said:

We pay for coal over the phone, going to have to ask for written receipts for past 2 deliveries. Going to be difficult for a lot of people to do an online form. 

Make sure any receipt you do get has ALL the information on it required. 

Subzero2698

dunstonh said:

kar999 said:

What a farce .. I last bought oil in 2021 and running on vapour now.....

The form can't be completed without uploading a receipt.

There must be many people who had sufficient oil and have held off topping up until now.

This needs fixing urgently.

Oil is cheaper than it was this time last year and at a level that is within its normal range.   The AFP is largely a windfall bonus for oil users (although not for taxpayers).

So, nobody should be holding off because of this windfall payment, and anyone claiming to is being disingenuous (or has money problems due to other reasons).

How is it fair that the majority of oil users get the £200 regardless of when they bought oil, yet those of us who haven't been in the right postcode have to supply proof?

kar999

dunstonh said:

kar999 said:

What a farce .. I last bought oil in 2021 and running on vapour now.....

The form can't be completed without uploading a receipt.

There must be many people who had sufficient oil and have held off topping up until now.

This needs fixing urgently.

Oil is cheaper than it was this time last year and at a level that is within its normal range.   The AFP is largely a windfall bonus for oil users (although not for taxpayers).

So, nobody should be holding off because of this windfall payment, and anyone claiming to is being disingenuous (or has money problems due to other reasons).

That still doesn't detract from the common practice of people who buy oil in bulk in the summer months.
My neighbour only buys coal and wood in bulk in the summer so also falls foul of this rule that only applies to the non automatic allowance.

It's a bit patronising to say this allowance is a windfall. It's a necessity for some.

For info: Smokeless coal is now £16 a bag v £9.50 last summer.
A net of kiln dried logs is £6.99 v £3.49 last summer