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Energy bills: One-off support payment delayed by one day

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Those eligible for the one-off payment had to have been in receipt of one or more of five qualifying benefits during the week beginning 13 December 2021

One-off £200 payments to help people struggling with rising energy costs will be delayed by a day, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has said.

Payments, which were due to be paid on Thursday, will now be made on Friday due to a "technical glitch", she said.

The minister tweeted she was "disappointed" the payments would not be going ahead as scheduled.

Ms Hargey said she had been assured on Wednesday that the issue "has been rectified".

The scheme to help people with rising energy costs had been agreed by the NI executive in January.

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Those eligible for the £200 payment must have been in receipt of one or more of five qualifying benefits during the week beginning 13 December 2021.

The Department for Communities said the qualifying benefits were:

  • Pension Credit
  • Income Support
  • Income-based Job Seekers' Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Universal Credit

Previously, Ms Hargey said payments would be made to about 280,000 people who were "finding it harder to cope" because of soaring energy prices.

This scheme is separate to a previous emergency fund that opened earlier this year to help people needing help with fuel payments.