The Welsh Government has confirmed that households in council tax bands A to D will receive £100 towards their energy bills this winter, as will anyone receiving the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, which supports people in low-income households and those on certain benefits.
An additional £8m will be made available to local councils to extend the £100 payment to households not covered by other schemes who are facing financial hardship. Details of who this covers have not yet been announced, but the Welsh Government says this information will come "soon".
Additional payments and support
There will also be a £250 payment for households eligible for the council tax reduction scheme based on their incomes and who depend on either heating oil or LPG. Bus operators will be able to access a share of a £7m fund to help with high fuel costs.
The £100 payment was announced by Chancellor John Healey in the UK Government budget, where he said he could not force devolved governments to offer the same scheme but hoped they would use a consequential payment to offer the same as in England.
Campaign boost and total investment
A campaign called "Claim What’s Yours" will receive a boost, according to the Welsh Government, to help people understand the help available.
Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams said: "We understand that this is a challenging time for many households across Wales and today I am announcing a further package of immediate help.
"In total this represents an additional investment of £130m, providing immediate relief for households this winter."
