Energy payment: Post Office urges NI customers to redeem vouchers quickly

The first £600 energy payment vouchers will start arriving from 16 January, the Post Office has said.

Mark Gibson, external affairs manager at Post Office NI, said the rollout will be staggered over four weeks.

Customers have been urged to redeem the voucher soon after getting it to ensure post office branches have enough cash.

The vouchers are being distributed to about 500,000 people who pay their electricity bills quarterly or use pre-payment meters.

Direct debit energy customers will receive the money directly to their bank account.

Energy companies have been tasked with distributing that money and the payments are expected to arrive between mid-January and late March.

'Bring ID'

Mr Gibson told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme that those who are flagged by energy firms as the most financially vulnerable customers will receive their payments in the first phase.

The voucher is redeemable for cash up until the end of March at any Post Office branch in Northern Ireland.

The money is intended to help with energy bills but people can use the cash payment as they see fit.

Mr Gibson advised that in order to redeem the voucher, customers will need to bring the letter from their energy supplier, the voucher, proof of address and a photographic ID.

Keypad customers will also need to bring their top-up card or app.

People with no direct debit arrangement and those with a prepaid meter will receive the voucher from their energy supplier which can then be redeemed at their local post office

"Even if you know the postmaster, which many of our customers do, you still need to bring this information along," he added.

• Your £600 energy payment scheme questions answered

Mr Gibson said: "We are asking customers, for security reasons more than anything else, is that they would immediately deposit that cash into their bank account which they can do at every Post Office in Northern Ireland."

To ensure that Post Office branches have appropriate cash flow, customers are being urged to redeem the vouchers as soon as they receive them.

Kevin Higgins, the head of policy at Advice NI, said customers unable to get to a post office can nominate a person to redeem the voucher on their behalf.

They will need to fill out an authorisation slip and bring the required identification documents of the person entitled to the voucher.

The public has also been warned of potential scams that may accompany the rollout of the voucher scheme.

Mr Gibson said the Post Office and energy suppliers will not be sending out texts and emails or calling customers ahead of the scheme.

"You will simply receive this voucher and this letter," he added.

'Manage expectations'

Mr Higgins said it is his understanding that direct debit customers can expect the £600 payment to be paid into their bank accounts to by the end of January.

He told BBC Radio Ulster's Inside Business programme that those waiting on the vouchers may need to be patient with the rollout.

"It's a bit of managing expectations here as well," he continued.

"They'll not hit people's doorsteps next week - it will start to be paid out from Monday 16 [January] and then that will continue over a number of weeks."

You can listen to Inside Business at 17:30 GMT on BBC Radio Ulster or catch up later on BBC Sounds.