Energy Support Payment

AidyT

I am with British Gas, and I have not received January's payment. The previous months arrived around the 8th. I contacted BG and was told that as my account had been moved to a "new platform" the Government payments have to be set up again and this is causing a delay. They cannot tell me when I will receive my payment, the best estimate is up to 14 days which will be 3 weeks late. Surely BG had a duty to ensure the Government support is passed on ASAP?

Mstty

No energy company was geared up to provide 6 payments of £66-£67 to everyone with an electricity supply and the background discounts and calculations to charge back to the Government.

In addition BG are moving to a new software platform so I think a little patience is what is called for.

MattMattMattUK

AidyT said:

I am with British Gas, and I have not received January's payment. The previous months arrived around the 8th. I contacted BG and was told that as my account had been moved to a "new platform" the Government payments have to be set up again and this is causing a delay. They cannot tell me when I will receive my payment, the best estimate is up to 14 days which will be 3 weeks late. Surely BG had a duty to ensure the Government support is passed on ASAP?

There is no entitlement to get it by a specific date, the target is to pay it within the same calendar month as the Direct Debit is taken.

AidyT

MattMattMattUK said:

AidyT said:

I am with British Gas, and I have not received January's payment. The previous months arrived around the 8th. I contacted BG and was told that as my account had been moved to a "new platform" the Government payments have to be set up again and this is causing a delay. They cannot tell me when I will receive my payment, the best estimate is up to 14 days which will be 3 weeks late. Surely BG had a duty to ensure the Government support is passed on ASAP?

There is no entitlement to get it by a specific date, the target is to pay it within the same calendar month as the Direct Debit is taken.

Not according to BG website. They state that payment will be made within 10 working days of the direct debit.

Mobtr

AidyT said:

MattMattMattUK said:

AidyT said:

I am with British Gas, and I have not received January's payment. The previous months arrived around the 8th. I contacted BG and was told that as my account had been moved to a "new platform" the Government payments have to be set up again and this is causing a delay. They cannot tell me when I will receive my payment, the best estimate is up to 14 days which will be 3 weeks late. Surely BG had a duty to ensure the Government support is passed on ASAP?

There is no entitlement to get it by a specific date, the target is to pay it within the same calendar month as the Direct Debit is taken.

Not according to BG website. They state that payment will be made within 10 working days of the direct debit.

Maybe so but if they are changing systems then that may not be the case this month. You will still get it, just a bit later this month, have a bit of patience 

Mstty

Patience...Being that it was a Sunday on 1st Jan and a bank holiday 2nd Jan things are a few days delayed. 

MattMattMattUK

AidyT said:

MattMattMattUK said:

AidyT said:

I am with British Gas, and I have not received January's payment. The previous months arrived around the 8th. I contacted BG and was told that as my account had been moved to a "new platform" the Government payments have to be set up again and this is causing a delay. They cannot tell me when I will receive my payment, the best estimate is up to 14 days which will be 3 weeks late. Surely BG had a duty to ensure the Government support is passed on ASAP?

There is no entitlement to get it by a specific date, the target is to pay it within the same calendar month as the Direct Debit is taken.

Not according to BG website. They state that payment will be made within 10 working days of the direct debit.

That is not an entitlement or a regulatory requirement, it is a aspiration. 

crashedandcool

Same boat here, but not yet at the stage where I feel I need to chase it. Interested to know how it shows in the payment history though.

crashedandcool

Mine got refunded to the bank today. Strange thing is in the payment history secton in this new system it doesn't show all of the transactions it did in the old system only that the regular DD was taken. No additonal amount to round it up to £67. But the live balance is correct

horsepills

Same here - I usually receive the payment on or around the 7th of each month, but haven't yet received it from British Gas.  When I spoke to them this morning via Live Chat, the exact response was "the payment failed due to some error, I am raising this with the dedicated team"....he then advised it would be paid within 14 working days.

When I asked what "failed due to some error" meant, he just said "these payments are government grant, they are processed by the team appointed by them" - whatever that means!

horsepills

MattMattMattUK said:

AidyT said:

I am with British Gas, and I have not received January's payment. The previous months arrived around the 8th. I contacted BG and was told that as my account had been moved to a "new platform" the Government payments have to be set up again and this is causing a delay. They cannot tell me when I will receive my payment, the best estimate is up to 14 days which will be 3 weeks late. Surely BG had a duty to ensure the Government support is passed on ASAP?

There is no entitlement to get it by a specific date, the target is to pay it within the same calendar month as the Direct Debit is taken.

I get that, but on the BG website it does not suggest a "target" date for payments.  It literally says "credits and vouchers will be received by 9th January" - there is no small print or disclaimer to suggest that date is a "target" or estimate.  
Additionally, it looks like people who contact them are being told that it is being raised with a dedicated team, and could take up to 14 working days - pushing it well outside of the same calendar month.  That's only for customers who highlight the issue to them - who knows how missed payments will be handled for those who don't contact them?

I understand this is a new scheme, etc...  but it's not quite as simple as just shrugging shoulders and saying "oh well" - there are households who desperately need this support and need it on time, not 4 weeks later (and only for those who raise the issue with BG themselves,  only to be told it "failed due to an error").  It's poor to say the least.  I'd suggest the very least BG should be doing is proactively managing failed payments and dare I say it, contacting those affected?