West Oxfordshire District Council provides additional financial support to households not eligible for Government energy support

Councillor Dan Levy, Cabinet Member for Finance, said, “When the Government ran their initial energy support payment scheme, some households including some of those living in park homes were not eligible to receive the financial support to help pay their energy bills. 

“We also know that some households on Universal Credit, and pensioners not receiving Pension Credit, are facing financial hardship so we are using surplus energy rebate funding to give them extra help.

“We are writing to all the eligible households to say we have credited their council tax account to help with their bills over the winter months.

“If residents don't want to use the money to pay their council tax they can contact us and we will refund the money to their bank.” 

People whose properties are registered for Council Tax and live in residential Park Homes where they are not responsible for their own electricity bills, and therefore not receiving the Government’s energy payment of £400, will receive a payment of £570. 

Residents in receipt of Universal Credit after 26 May 2022 will receive £650 while pensioners born after 26 September 1956 and not in receipt of Pension Credit will receive £575. 

Households eligible under more than one of these criteria will receive only the highest payment.

The discretionary scheme launched by the Council does not require residents to apply for the funding, they will automatically be credited with the funds in their council tax accounts and will receive a letter from West Oxfordshire District Council informing them of the payment. 

The money used to fund this scheme is surplus funding from the Government's Energy Bill Rebate Discretionary fund provided by the Government earlier this year.