Cost of living: Derry and Strabane council heating payment fund to open

The £258,000 fund will be issued in a one-off payment of up to £100 directly to energy providers

A hardship fund for people in the north west struggling to pay home heating bills is set to open on Tuesday.

The hardship fund, approved by Derry City and Strabane District Council last week, is due to go live on the council website after a series of delays.

The £258,000 fund will be issued in a one-off payment of up to £100 directly to energy providers.

The scheme had been due to begin issuing payments on 17 October but that did not happen.

The delay was due to the unsuccessful appointment of a fuel payment partner to administer the payments, the council had said.

A council spokeswoman said the scheme would begin accepting referrals at 09:30 GMT on Tuesday.

She said due to its limited budget the scheme "will not be able to support everyone who is in need given the scale of the current crisis".

"It is important to note that it is aimed specifically at those in an emergency situation and in genuine need," she said.

The funding will only be available to oil and electricity customers in the council area and not to gas customers.

People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin said that was disappointing, but the council now had to move the scheme forward.

"It took quite a few meetings, it took quite a bit of work by council officers to come back to the councillors and the council's working group to move proposals forward," he said.

Council say the scheme is aimed at helping 2,405 households in the district

"Was it frustrating, yes, absolutely... but I do see that Derry City and Strabane District Council was the first council to have attempted to do this.

"I do see Belfast City Council has now passed something similar, so hopefully our tribulations can maybe help other councils help to figure this out."

The council said the programme forms part of the its response to the cost of living crisis and is designed for emergency situations when a householder is not able to pay fuel bills or buy a top-up.

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It has reiterated that this scheme is specifically aimed "at those in an emergency situation and in genuine need" and seeks to support 2,405 households in the district.

The scheme is being run on a referral basis, which can be made by any local support organisation, school, church or charity.

Advice North West and Resource Centre Derry in Carnhill has been appointed by council to undertake the eligibility checks.

The Bryson Charitable Group will provide payments to successful applicants.

People can also refer themselves using an application form that will be available on the council's website.

A household can only receive one payment through the fund.

The eligibility criteria includes:

• the household earns a total income of less than £40,000

• a member of the household is entitled to free school meals

• the household is in debt with an energy provider

• there is a "vulnerable person" in the household

• a member of the household has recently become unemployed

• a member of the household is on a zero-hours contract

A UK-wide scheme to help people with their energy bills has still not been delivered in Northern Ireland.

Belfast City Council's strategic resources committee had previously agreed to set up a fuel poverty hardship fund of £500,000 for households most in need in Belfast.

Under the plans in this scheme, like in Derry and Strabane, eligible households can apply for a £100 voucher towards their fuel bill.

However, it later agreed at a meeting to increase the amount of money available to £1m, using unspent money from other council services if required.

The scheme was criticised on Monday for allowing households earning up to £60,000 to apply.