Households in Northern Ireland have begun to receive the long-awaited £600 energy payment.
Those who pay their electric bills by direct debit will receive the £600 into their bank accounts, while those who pay quarterly or use pre-payment meters will be sent a voucher.
The mailout of the vouchers, which can only be redeemed at Post Offices, will be carried out in phases over the next four weeks and is due to completed by the end of February.
Read more: Northern Ireland £600 energy support voucher roll-out begins
As the vouchers start to arrive, the Post Office has urged everyone due to receive them to pay close attention to their post and to be careful not to accidentally throw it away.
Here is a rundown of all you need to know about the payment scheme and how it will work.
What is the £600 energy support scheme?
The Energy Bills Support Scheme in Northern Ireland is being delivered by the UK government to help with rising energy bills.
All households in Northern Ireland are due to receive a £600 payment under the initiative.
It includes a £400 payment as part of a UK-wide support scheme and an extra £200 in recognition of Northern Ireland's greater dependence on home heating oil.
While the scheme is intended to help with rising energy costs, people will be able to use the payment however they wish.
Those who pay an electric bill at a second home, such as a holiday home, will be paid twice.
How does the energy payment scheme work?
Electricity companies are being funded directly for the scheme to deliver money to households amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Those who pay their electric bills by direct debit will automatically receive the £600 directly into their bank accounts from this week.
Those who pay quarterly or use pre-payment meters will be sent a voucher letter in the post.
The vouchers can only be redeemed at Post Offices, where they can be transferred into most bank accounts or the customer can receive cash.
With an estimated 75% of households in Northern Ireland not paying energy bills by direct debit, it is expected that Post Offices will be busier than usual during the roll-out.
What does the voucher letter look like?
When posted to households, keypad customers will receive their vouchers addressed to "the occupier" while for those who pay quarterly it will be addressed to the account holder.
As the vouchers start to arrive, the Post Office has urged everyone due to receive them to pay close attention to their post and to be careful not to accidentally throw it away.
What do I need to redeem the voucher?
To redeem the voucher at a Post Office, you will need to bring:
- the voucher letter
- proof of address
- a bank card, if you are requesting payment into an account
- a photographic ID, if you are redeeming the voucher for cash
- your top-up card or keypad app, if you are a keypad customer.
The letter includes details of what forms of photographic ID and proof of address are acceptable. The names on each form of ID must be the same.
If you bank with Monzo, Nationwide or a Credit Union, you will not be able to transfer the voucher into your account at the Post Office and will instead need to bring photo ID to receive the payment as cash.
If you are physically unable to go to the Post Office, there are details in the letter about how someone else can collect the payment on your behalf.
When will I receive the payment?
Everyone should have received their payment or voucher by the end of February.
Customers who are registered as vulnerable with electricity firms, such as those with medical equipment, are being prioritised.
If you do not receive it by the end of February, contact your electric supplier.
Vouchers can be redeemed at any Post Office branch before the expiry date of March 31.
Customers have been advised to redeem the vouchers soon after receiving them to ensure Post Office branches can maintain their cash flow during the phased roll-out.
How can I ensure my personal security and avoid any scams?
The Post Office has encouraged people redeeming vouchers to keep their money safe by depositing it straight into their bank account if they can while they are at the branch.
Mark Gibson, external affairs manager at Post Office NI, also stressed that the only way the vouchers can be redeemed is at the Post Office.
"If anybody contacts you purporting to be from Post Office, be it by text, telephone, email, it is not from us, it is a scam so just ignore it," he said.
"We will not ask you to enter any details or anything like that – the only way you can redeem this voucher is through the Post Office."
Visit postoffice.co.uk/costofliving for more information on the scheme.
Why has this scheme taken so long?
In Great Britain, households are having their electric bills cut by £400 over a six-month period, with a reduction of around £66 each month from last October to March.
Northern Ireland's different energy market and the absence of a Stormont Executive have been blamed for contributing to delays in rolling out a similar scheme.
Officials have also had to consider matters such as home heating oil customers making up two-thirds of households in Northern Ireland - a much higher proportion than in Great Britain.
And many households in Northern Ireland using pre-payment meters added greater complexity to distributing the support payment.
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