Energy bill payment delayed until after Christmas

A £600 payment intended to help people in Northern Ireland with energy bills will not be made until after Christmas, a government minister has said.

Graham Stuart, minister for energy and climate, said he was aiming to deliver the money in January.

The money is due to go to all households as a credit to their electricity account.

But work on the scheme is now focusing on how people can "cash out" some or all of the credit.

Mr Stuart said he was "determined to find away to ensure that we can allow cashing out this winter".

Responding in the Commons to an urgent question by Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Carla Lockhart, he said it was likely that the payment would be delayed.

"I do not see, given the situation, given that late handing over from the executive to us, given the situation with suppliers, that we are going to be able to stand that up before Christmas," he said.

"We are aiming to stand that up in January if we possibly can. That is my aspiration, that is my aim and it is what I'm seeking to achieve."

The uncertainty surrounding the delivery of the scheme has been a disappointment to some families in Northern Ireland.

Stephanie Waite said the money would have taken a lot of stress off her shoulders.

"Money-wise it's robbing Peter to pay Paul," she told BBC News NI.

"It's borrowing money from family members just so my children can have something.

"I just don't know what I'm going to do."

Christina Anderson said she would have to carefully manage her children's expectations at Christmas this year.

"I have an older son and I've had to explain to him that sometimes Santa might not be able to get the big presents," she said.

"Nobody can prepare for anything. It's not fair on families, it's not fair on anybody."

Ms Anderson said she felt unable to plan for the future.

"Everybody's stuck in limbo," she said.

"A lot of parents are going to struggle this year and that payment would have really, really helped some of us."

The Energy Bill Support Scheme was first announced by the government in May.

In England, Scotland and Wales energy bills will be cut by £400.

This will be applied over six months, with a reduction of £66 in October and November, and £67 every month between December and March 2023.

Northern Ireland has a different energy market and delivery of a scheme has been complicated by the lack of an executive.

Northern Ireland households are also getting an additional £200 in recognition of the unique characteristics of the market.

Originally, a payment of £100 was supposed to go to people who use home heating oil.

In the autumn statement the Treasury doubled the amount and said it will be a universal payment "in recognition of the prevalence of alternative fuel usage in Northern Ireland".

Gordon Lyons, the former economy minister, said the government needed to accept that while "imperfect", the system to get the money to people via their electricity provider was ready.

"That system is in place, it's been in place for a month," he told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme.

"The energy companies are ready to go. They just need BEIS make that decision to release that money. And that's where the hold up is right now," he said.

"That was always the quickest way to get money out to people, imperfect as it is. So the government need to get on with it," he added.

But Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) cost of living spokesman Matthew O'Toole criticised the DUP for blocking the restoration of power-sharing.

"The fact remains that if we had an executive and Assembly in place, we would have stood a better chance of getting this money to those who need it," he said.

Sinn Féin MLA Conor Murphy said it was "totally unacceptable".

"People in Britain started getting these payments weeks ago, that would have been the case here too if we had local ministers working together around the executive table," he added.

Meanwhile, Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said news that people in Northern Ireland would not receive support until after Christmas was "extremely concerning".

"This could mean Christmas is cancelled for families relying on this support to make ends meet this festive season," she said.

"Government should stop at nothing and work closely with suppliers to ensure that people receive this financial support as soon as possible - so that the many people struggling have some relief this winter."