PEOPLE are being urged to check whether they are eligible for a one-off £200 payment to help with energy bills this winter.

Earlier this year, the Welsh Government announced that in addition to the Winter Fuel Payment that is normally paid to pensioners, eligible households will also be able to claim this one-off payment of £200 to help pay energy bills this winter. 

This is regardless of how you pay your bill, for example, on a pre-payment meter, direct debit or quarterly, and whether you are using on or off-grid fuel.

If you are on the Council Tax reduction scheme, your council will be writing to you to invite you to apply for the payment and the online application process opened on September 26.

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Flintshire residents can apply online via https://bit.ly/3BKAirj, and people living in Wrexham can do so via https://bit.ly/3r71rQl.

The closing date for applications will be February 28 and payment should be made to eligible applicants by March 31.

To be eligible for the one-per-household payment you must have received one of the qualifying benefits between September 1, 2022 and January 31, 2023, be responsible for paying the fuel bill in your house, and apply before February 28, 2023. 

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To be eligible, one member of the household must be receiving one of the following working age means-tested welfare benefits:

  • Council Tax Reduction Scheme
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Carers Allowance
  • Child Tax Credits
  • Constant Attendance Allowance
  • Contributory Based/New Style Employment and Support Allowance
  • Contributory Based/New Style Job Seekers Allowance
  • Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
  • Income Support
  • Income Based Job Seekers Allowance
  • Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Pension Credit
  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • Universal Credit
  • War Pension Mobility Supplement
  • Working Tax Credits

You must have been claiming these benefits at any time between September 1, 2022 and January 31, 2023.

If a householder (or their partner) who is liable for the fuel costs does not receive any of the qualifying benefits, the householder should be determined/considered as eligible for a payment if they have a qualifying person living with them.

A person meets the definition of a qualifying person if they:

  • Occupy the householder’s home as their primary residence and
  • Are a dependent child or another adult living with the householder (or their partner) and
  • They receive one of the following benefits:
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment
  • Attendance Allowance 
  • Constant Attendance Allowance
  • Disability Living Allowance
  • Personal Independence Payment
  • Constant Attendance Allowance
  • War Pension Mobility Supplement

This is in reflection of the higher energy costs typically faced by a household where a disabled person resides, and a common-sense approach that recognises that Disability Living Allowance is primarily awarded to a disabled child aged under 16 (who cannot be a householder).

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