British Gas have warned its customers that they cannot receive help from them if they are refused extra cash through the Government's Warm Home Discount scheme.
According to MSE, rather than money being paid directly into your account, the £150 rebate through the scheme is applied to your electricity bill between October and March, and if you're on a prepay meter, you will likely be sent a top-up voucher.
The scheme means that eligible customers will not be paying as much they would normally with it aiming to help low-income families and pensioners who are struggling to pay their bills.
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The Government will contact those who are automatically eligible between November and mid-January, with others across Scotland still required to apply.
However as reported by Birmingham Live, whilst many are trying to get as much help as possible to relieve any financial burdens, British Gas have said that the Government decides who is successful for support and if customers are rejected it, they cannot help.
It says on its website: "If you’re eligible for the payment on the qualifying date of August 21, 2022, you don’t need to apply for the Warm Home Discount this year, even if you applied in previous years.
"The Government will decide who is eligible and if you are will write to you between November 2022 and mid-January 2023. If you get turned down for the scheme, we can’t help you appeal because it’s decided by the Government. If you live in England and Wales and want to appeal a decision you’ll need to visit the Government’s dedicated Warm Home Discount website."
Warm Home Discount scheme: How to apply for the discount
If you received one of the following benefits, this is the criteria you need to meet in order to qualify for the Warm Home Discount scheme:
Child tax credit
- Your annual income is £17,005 or less and you have parental responsibility for a child under the age of five who usually lives with you
- OR Your child tax credit has a disability element
- OR You get a disabled child premium
Housing benefit, Income support, Income-based jobseeker's allowance, Income-related employment and support allowance (with a support component or member of the work-related activity group)
You have parental responsibility for a child under the age of five who usually lives with you
OR you get either child tax credit with a disability element, a disabled child premium, a disability premium or a pensioner premium
Universal Credit
You earned £1,418 or less in at least one assessment period since October 2021 and you have parental responsibility for a child under the age of five who usually lives with you
OR you have 'limited capability for work' or 'limited capability for work and work-related activity'
OR your universal credit has a disabled child element
Applications are open now but only for some companies. You can see the list of who is open and which companies are closed on the MSE website.
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