Fife chalet park residents’ five-month wait on Government energy bill help

While households across the UK have got monthly £67 instalments as part of a Government support scheme, people living at Dunnikier Chalet Park are among many who have yet to see a payment.

Now the delay has been criticised by David Torrance MSP who described Westminster’s handling of the aid as “mismanagement.”

Residents at the park are part of the Energy Bill Support Scheme (Alternative Funding) which is designed to provide assistance for households that do not have a contract with a domestic electricity supplier and pay for energy through a landlord on a commercial supply as opposed to the Energy Support Scheme for households that have a contract with a domestic electricity supplier.

But, along with some care homes and traveller sites, they have yet to see a payment made.

As these households cannot be identified by their energy supply, the scheme cannot be delivered in the same way with the UK Government concluding that the best way to go is through local authorities.

The application phase of the scheme has been pushed back to February 27 - leaving residents without support for five months.

Mr Torrance, said: “I have been liaising with residents at Dunnikier Chalet Park since the middle of last year to help them with the predicament of how they are to receive their energy discount.

“I have written to three successive UK chancellors, Nadhim Zahawi, Rishi Sunak, and Kwasi Kwarteng highlighting this issue in early August 2022 with zero information being offered.

“I also wrote to Scottish Government ministers, but of course these ministers could only apply pressure as they have no direct power over energy policy which remains reserved to Westminster.”

Mr Torrance described the new estimated application date at the end of February as unacceptable, adding: “This situation is unacceptable and extremely unfair to my constituents who need this energy support and who continue to suffer with the cost-of-living crisis.

“This has been terribly mismanaged and could have been administered by the UK Government sooner had the will and understanding been there to do so.”

Kathy Wood (76) and Brian Bramwell (76), who both live in Dunnikier Chalet Park, met with Mr Torrance to voice their concerns

Kathy said: “This should have been thought out long before and now we are left waiting for support – I feel like a second-class citizen. You would think that as a pensioner the government would look after you but that is not the case.

“We live on our pensions and as the energy prices have risen sharply it means that we are left to struggle to pay our bills.”

Brian added: “Our electric bills have doubled from 17p per unit to 34p per unit leaving many residents struggling to make ends meet.

“There are 85 homes here in the park and everyone is very anxious to as and when we will receive the support scheme. People who live in conventional houses are receiving support so why not us? It is discrimination from the UK Government.

“We’ve been pushed to the end of the queue and after working all our lives to be treated like this is completely unacceptable.”