The Government’s support measures for fuel bills have reached 29 million households. There are however 900,000 which, for various reasons, are harder to reach and park home communities fall into this group.
The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding is set to start later this month and will provide financial support for park home residents who are ‘off-grid’.
The scheme has taken time to put together as there is no register of eligible off-grid households so payment remains a complex matter. The Government has decided that the best way to administer the scheme will be for an applicant to fill in a short form on the gov.uk website. Local councils will then verify the application and arrange payment. Officials are testing the model against fraud and other potential issues to ensure it works properly when it goes live.
The scheme is expected to open this month with subsequent dates for payment dependent on the speed at which the local authority processes the claim.
Local MP Andrew Jones commented: “I have raised this issue with ministers repeatedly and kept park home residents in my constituency informed of progress. I am pleased that a solution to the problem seems imminent and will get in touch with those eligible for these payments when the scheme is launched.”
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