From the 1st of October 2022, the Council’s Energy Crisis Support Scheme provides a payment of up to £400 to households struggling to meet the costs of their energy bills as a result of the significant rise in energy costs.
In order to qualify for the Energy Crisis Support Scheme, applicants will be asked to provide information about their current financial situation, along with a recent bank statement and estimated monthly expenditure and income.
Applicants must have no more than £150 a month left over after paying for all their essential costs such as food / rent / utility bills. If you have more than £150 left over each month, then you may not meet the criteria at this time.
Before you start the application process, please note the following:
- Only one application for the Energy Crisis Support Scheme can be submitted per household. Please note: If you have applied for the Energy Crisis Support Scheme before 1st of October and you are still in financial hardship you can apply again and may be eligible for a second payment.
- Please try to answer every question as fully as you can as this helps us process your application more quickly so we can pay you faster.
- It may take a number of weeks to process applications, so please keep a note of your claim reference number which you will find on the email we send you once you have applied.
Information you will be asked to provide when you apply
- A statement explaining how the cost of living is impacting your household financially and the difficulties you will face if you are unable to access the Energy Crisis Support Scheme. Please make your answer short and simple as this allows applications to be processed more quickly. Please note: if you struggled financially before the increase in energy and living costs beginning April 2022, please include this in your statement.
- Estimated monthly expenditure and estimated monthly income, this helps us better understand your financial position and helps assess your claim more quickly.
- Bank details including, name of bank, sort code and account number so that payment can be made if successful.
- A copy of one full month bank statement (online statements are accepted). This must be dated within the last 2 months and must cover the entirety of that month. You can provide up to the last 3 months of bank statements if you wish, to provide a clearer view of your finances.
- A recent gas / electric bill in your name (dated within the last 3 months) or screenshots of your online energy account showing your balance and monthly payments.
- Proof of residency. This can be documents such as: utility bills, Council Tax bills, rental agreements, driving licence, current bank statement. The document must include your address to be accepted.
Apply for support from the Energy Crisis Support Scheme
For more information, please see this Council produced video explaining the purpose of this form and how it should be completed: Introduction to the application form