Charities concerned as details of £400 energy bill support for Britain revealed

theguardian.com:

Charities have warned that some of the most vulnerable households could miss out on the £400 to help with soaring energy bills this autumn, after details were revealed of how all homes in Great Britain would receive the support.

The money, part of the already announced energy bill support scheme, will be paid in six monthly instalments of £66 or £67 to about 29m households.

Charities and campaigners raised immediate concerns that more than 2 million pre-payment meter customers could have difficulties accessing the support.

Those who pay by direct debit will receive an automatic deduction off their bills, while those with so-called “smart” pre-payment meters will see an automatic monthly top-up added to their account.

However, customers with older “non-smart” pre-payment meters will not receive the support automatically, instead receiving an energy bill discount voucher each month via text, email or in the post. Customers will then have to redeem these in person at their usual top-up point, such as newsagents or post Offices.

Those using pre-payment meters include some of the country’s poorest and most-vulnerable households who are finding the soaring cost of energy and other bills most difficult.

Maureen Fildes of the fuel poverty charity National Energy Action said she was fearful that some people using pre-payment meters may struggle to get the vouchers.

“There is a lot of fear about how people are going to survive the winter,” she said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “I don’t think that is going to be sufficient to help people cope with the cost of living this winter.

“A lot of people on pre-payment meters don’t have a lot of interaction with the energy supplier they just top-up as and when they need. If it’s a paper