AQW 29551/17-22

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 10/02/2022
Answered On Date: 04/03/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities whether she intends to implement a similar scheme to the £350 boost for households to help with recent rising energy costs, as announced by the Chancellor last week.

Answer:

My Department has a number of schemes in place

Affordable Warmth Scheme is available to low-income owner-occupiers and households in the private rented sector and includes multiple measures such as cavity wall insulation, installation of gas or oil, boiler replacement, replacement windows.

Boiler Replacement Scheme provides a grant of up to £1,000 towards the cost of replacing old and inefficient boilers over 15 years old. This is open to owner-occupiers with a household income of less than £40,000.

Winter Fuel payment is a tax free and non means tested benefit which is paid annually to eligible older people. The rate payable is between £100 and £300 depending on personal circumstances, to help people pay their heating bills.

The Emergency Fuel Payment Scheme will operate from 6 January to 31 March 2022 and my Department has contributed £2m to support this Scheme. It will provide immediate support of up to £100 worth of electric gas or oil to eligible people experiencing an emergency fuel crisis.

Discretionary Support is an award of short-term financial help to assist with additional expenditure for fuel costs if a person is in an extreme, exceptional or crisis situation.

Energy Payment Support Scheme is a one-off Payment of £200 payable to people who between 13-19 December 2021 inclusive were in receipt of one of the following benefits: Pension Credit; Universal Credit; Income related Employment and Support Allowance; Income Based Job Seekers Allowance; or Income Support.