£500 energy bill handout available for hundreds of households - are you eligible?

The funding is available to assist those struggling with paying energy bills, as well as also offering homeowners help with repairs and replacing heating systems.

The payment is available as either a £500 direct payment to an energy supplier, or as a pre-payment energy voucher for those paying by key or card. The offer, provided by Act on Energy, is available for those in the Stratford-upon-Avon area only.

Families with children under 18, as well as adults up to 21 who are in full-time education, could receive the bonus. 

There is also a £300 support payment available for single occupants or couples. In order to benefit from the payment, applicants must:

• Have a gross income of £31,000 or less, and;
• If applying for energy payment help, must have no household savings, or
• If applying for heating system support (i.e. physical system replacements or repairs), homeowners must have no more than £6000 in aggregate for each adult in recipt of a state pension who are living at the property. This total includes funeral plans.

Applicants are also required to provide evidence of income - for those on means tested benefits, this requires evidence of the award dated within the last three months. For those not on means tested benefits, three months of bank statements. 

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Terms of the handout also require that someone in the household is vulnerable, which typically includes: a long-term diagnosed and treated health condition, households with unmanageable debt, those pregnant or with young children under five, or those with a disability with DLA or PIP receipt.

Other vulnerabilities disclosed by households might be accepted at the company’s discretion. Act on Energy encourages applicants to contact them for any further clarification.

The Stratford Heating and Energy Bills Support (SHEBS) scheme replaces the previous Energy Support Fund and Physical Intervention Fund, and is administered on behalf of the Council by Act on Energy.

The West Midlands-based charity has been fighting fuel poverty and helping households stay warm for over two decades.