Communities Minister has secured Executive
agreement for a £36.4million support package for home heating oil
users in Northern Ireland.
Eligible households will be able to apply for a £100 prepaid card
that can be used at heating oil suppliers.
Minister Lyons said: “With roughly two thirds of homes in
Northern Ireland relying on oil heating, recent price increases
of nearly 100% in just a few weeks have been especially punishing
here.
“This measure will deliver targeted support to more than 300,000
households to help hard-pressed working families and vulnerable
people struggling to meet essential heating oil costs.”
Eligible groups identified as most vulnerable to increased
heating oil costs include:
- Households in receipt of income-related means tested
benefits, namely Pension Credit, Universal Credit and Income
Related Employment and Support Allowance;
- Households in receipt of Disability benefits;
- Pensioner households not in receipt of Pension Credit with
income below £30,000; and
- Households on incomes below £30,000 and not in receipt of
income related benefits.
The Executive has agreed £36.4million for the Department for
Communities to support delivery of the scheme. This includes the
£17.2million allocated by the UK Government and an additional
£19.2million from the Executive.
The Minister continued: “My officials will work at pace to open
the scheme and I will announce further details as soon as
possible.
“With 24% of households already living in fuel poverty before the
recent surge in oil prices, it is clear that the situation has
only deteriorated.
“My ambition is to deliver lasting, meaningful support. Alongside
this new measure, I will reform my Department's Discretionary
Support Scheme to ensure grant assistance is available to those
in need, regardless of the type of home heating they rely on.
“In parallel, I am actively progressing work on a Warm Healthy
Homes Fund to help make fuel poverty and cold, damp homes a thing
of the past.”
Notes to editors:
- Approximately 500,000 homes in Northern Ireland rely on oil
as a primary heating source.
