Cotswold District Council provides additional financial support to households not eligible for Government energy support

Councillor Mike Evemy, Cabinet Member for Finance, said, “Some households including some of those living in park homes were not eligible to receive the financial support from the Government to help pay their energy bills. 

“We also know that some households on Universal Credit, and pensioners not receiving Pension Credit, are facing financial hardship as they did not receive the same level of support as others. Therefore we are using surplus energy rebate funding to give extra help.

“We are writing to them to say we will be crediting their council tax account to help with their bills over the winter months and we expect all payments to be made by the end of the month. 

“If residents don't want to use the money to pay their council tax they can contact us and we will refund the money to their bank.” 

People living in residential Park Homes where they are not responsible for their own electricity bills, and therefore not receiving the Government’s energy payment of £400, will receive a payment of £300. 

Residents in receipt of Universal Credit after 26 May 2022 will receive £324 while pensioners born after 26 September 1956 and not in receipt of Pension Credit will receive £250. 

Households eligible under more than one of these criteria will receive only the highest payment.

The discretionary scheme launched by the Council does not require residents to apply for the funding, they will automatically be credited with the funds in their council tax accounts and will receive a letter from Cotswold District Council informing them of the payment. 

The money used to fund this scheme is surplus funding from the Government's Energy Bill Rebate Discretionary fund provided by the Government earlier this year.