Wiltshire canal families 'having to beg' for energy bill help

Mary Maw and daughter Sybil will miss out on the £600 energy support payment

Hundreds of people living aboard canal boats in Wiltshire are receiving new help with energy bills, but others continue to miss out.

The Energy Bill Support Scheme has been expanded to include liveaboard boaters on certain types of mooring.

One described the £600 payment as a "lifesaver", but a single mum who will not qualify for the payment says she feels she is "having to beg" for it.

Devizes MP Danny Kruger said ministers are "committed" to rolling out support.

Until now, only liveaboard boaters with fixed addresses qualified for the sort of energy support payments offered to most UK households over the last year.

But only a minority of moorings on the Kennet and Avon Canal meet this criteria, so the majority of the community had been missing out.

The majority of those living on the Kennet and Avon canal have not been eligible for support until now

The new government scheme now recognises those classed as 'continuous cruisers', who have to move location every fortnight.

But those on other types of registered moorings are still not getting the payment to help fund their winter gas and coal supplies, which must be bought in advance.

Single mum, Mary Maw, has lived on her boat Adrastea for 10 years.

If the 40-year-old had remained a continuous cruiser she would have been entitled to support but she gave that lifestyle up because the constant moving was incompatible with caring for her one-year-old daughter, Sybil.

Unable to get one of the few formal residential moorings, Miss Maw is still not able to access the support.

"Sybil deserves to be warm as much as any other child.

"I feel like I've begged for it. I have filled out every form I could possibly fill in and still I'm being refused because I don't tick the right box," said Miss Maw.

The former end-of-life carer added: "People who live on boats don't fit in the right category and if you don't fit into a category there's no common sense to say you are still a human and you have still got a family. That doesn't happen."

She told BBC Radio Wiltshire she is having to use savings put aside for Sybil's future to pay for food and fuel, making her "feel terrible".

Widowed pensioner, Phil Hatfield, will receive the £600 energy support payment

But others speak of their huge relief at being able to access the cash.

Widowed pensioner, Phil Hatfield, has been living on his boat Annie's Dream for 16 years, following the death of his wife.

"I got my money last Thursday and on the Friday I'd spent it all," said the 69-year-old.

"I put that £600 towards a tonne of coal to keep me warm this winter, so I know I'm not going to be cold," he added.

Devizes MP, Danny Kruger, says more needs to be done for households yet to receive support

Conservative MP, Mr Kruger, has lobbied ministers after meeting liveaboard boaters in his constituency.

He said delays were due to resolving concerns over benefit fraud, but said it was "not acceptable for them to be waiting so long".

"The commitment has always been there that every household should get this money," Mr Kruger said.

"The wheels of the state grind slowly but I don't think there was any ill will, ministers are really committed to making this work," he added.

The National Bargee Travellers Association and the National Association of Boat Owners have also been lobbying government.

Alex Montegriffo is community organiser at Devizes and District Foodbank

Alex Montegriffo works as a community organiser at the Devizes and District Foodbank, and has been campaigning on the issue since discovering many were "being excluded from government support".

The foodbank data showed "a lot more people being referred from houseboats," they said, adding people "found it really difficult over the winter."

A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the government had already spent £40bn to protect families from energy price rises, but would not confirm when and if other liveaboard boaters would get support.

"Our schemes supported those living in boats, whether that's those with permanent moorings through the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding, or more recently with a £600 voucher going to those who hold long-term boat licences from the Canal and River Trust.

"We would urge anyone who thinks they are eligible for support but have not received it to contact the Energy Bills Support Scheme for Continuous Cruisers."

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