Forest of Dean District Council provides additional financial support to households not eligible for Government energy support
Forest of Dean District Council has today written to 2097 households across the district to inform them the Council will be providing additional financial support to them to help with the rising costs of energy bills.
Councillor Richard Leppington, Cabinet Member for Finance, said, “We know that some households on Universal Credit, and pensioners not receiving Pension Credit and people with disabilities are facing financial hardship during the cost of living crisis. Therefore we are using surplus energy rebate funding to give them extra help.
“We are writing to all eligible households to say we have credited their council tax account to help with their bills over the winter months.
“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 in receipt of Personal Independence Payments (PiP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Attendance Allowance (AA) will receive a payment of £50.
Residents in receipt of Universal Credit after 26 May 2022 will receive £168 while pensioners born after 26 September 1956 and not in receipt of Pension Credit or Government support will receive £150.
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 Forest of Dean 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.