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Help with energy and heating costs. This scheme is funded by UK Government.
Worcestershire
We will not be accepting new or processing existing applications from 23 December. We will reopen in early January.
The scheme is administered and managed by Act on Energy on behalf of Worcestershire County Council. This funding is made available through the Department of Work and Pensions to support people through the cost-of-living crisis.
All evidence requested below & during your online application must be submitted for your application to be processed and approved. We will let you know if your application is successful, this may take a few weeks due to the high number of applications we receive. We are unable to provide application status updates over the phone.
If you have applied for support via the Household Support fund in the last 6 months, you are not eligible to reapply, and your application will be closed.
Please note, this is not an emergency service, if you require urgent energy support please contact your energy supplier, your district council or seek advice through your local advice services.
This scheme is only available to Worcestershire residents. You must live in Malvern, Worcester, Wychavon, Bromsgrove, Redditch, or Wyre Forest District.
To check this applies to you, please visit gov.uk/find-local-council. (Worcestershire County Council must be listed).
In addition to being a Worcestershire resident, you must also:
(You will need to submit evidence of 3 consecutive months bank statements for each adult occupier as proof)
OR
Be in receipt of a means-tested benefit
(All applications that tick this box will be submitted to Worcestershire County Council to search your DWP benefit record, you must ensure the application is completed in the name of the benefit recipient with their national insurance number).
(Exception of £5,000 in savings for each household occupier of state pension age)
In receipt of one or more of the following DWP benefits:
Engaging with one of the following support services:
Engaged with any of the following advice or support services in the last calendar month:
Details of what evidence is required and how to submit your evidence can be found below. Failure to send the necessary evidence will result in your application being cancelled.
This is open to the following utility types:
In addition to the evidence to meet the criteria mentioned above, you will need to supply evidence of your customer account with your energy or water provider. Your energy or water bill evidence must show your:
If all evidence has been supplied, you may receive the following support depending on your household type:
Depending on the billing method for your energy account, energy payments will either be made by direct bank transfer to your energy supplier for your energy account, via an online portal for your energy supplier to credit your energy account or via Post Office vouchers for pre-payment to-ups.
Pre-payment meter vouchers can only be redeemed as credit directly onto your key or card. No vouchers can be redeemed as cash.
The level of financial assistance for your accrued debt will be calculated once evidence has been submitted with your application form. There is a maximum capped level of financial support for energy and water debts available for each household.
You will need to supply proof of energy and water debts from your energy or water debt online accounts or letters from your supplier. If you request this support on your online application, a separate application form will be posted or emailed to you. This must be completed and returned with the necessary evidence requested on the form.
All debt cases must agree to support from a debt advisory organisation either Step Change or your local Citizen Advice. You must engage with the debt advice service before any financial support is paid to your energy or water account.
Support is available for heating system repairs, replacements, and servicing.
If you tick help with repairing or replacing your boiler on your initial online application this will automatically trigger us to send you an application form which will include full details of how to apply, you don’t need to do anything else at this stage.
Owner Occupiers
Shared Ownership Households who have a contracted duty to repair
Support Available
You must supply evidence of the following information and submit by post or email.
Income evidence to show overall household income below £31,000:
You must live in a low-income household to qualify for any support. You can supply this evidence in either or the below options:
Evidence required for: Help with current energy and water costs
In addition to the income evidence requested above you must supply evidence of your energy account details. This must include,
Evidence required for: Help with energy and/or water debts
Once you have completed your online application and submitted your income evidence or supplied your means-benefit recipient details, you will be posted or emailed a separate application form requesting the necessary evidence for this support. This must be completed and returned with the requested supporting evidence within 28 days. If we receive no response within 28 days your claim will be closed and you will need to re-apply, causing further delay.
Evidence required for: Help with repairing, servicing, or replacing your heating system
Once you have completed your online application and submitted your income evidence or supplied your means-benefit recipient details, you will be posted or emailed a separate application form requesting the necessary evidence for this support. This must be completed and returned with the requested supporting evidence within 28 days. If we receive no response within 28 days your claim will be closed, and you will need to re-apply, causing further delay.
Submitting the evidence requested above:
Digital evidence to be emailed to: whsf6@actonenergy.org.uk
Paper evidence to be posted to: Act on Energy, Unit 2, Lauriston Business Park, Salford Priors, Warwickshire WR11 8SN
1. There is no guarantee of support.
2. This is not an emergency scheme.
3. If you were successful in receiving support through the previous Worcestershire Household Support Fund, you can apply again provided you made your application over 6 months ago. If you received help more recently your application will be ignored. Priority will be given to households that have made no previous application.
We accept referrals from both Professional Referrers and friends or family members.
To register your interest in Worcestershire Household Support Scheme – Phase 6, please complete and submit the ‘Online Self Certification Application form’ available by clicking the button below.
If you are applying for Energy Payment support you will need to provide details of your energy and/or water supplier, oil or LPG supplier on the online application including their name and your energy/water account number. In addition, you will need to send a copy of your latest bill and if applicable income evidence to whsf6@actonenergy.org.uk please include in the email heading your name and postcode, this information is essential to process the payment. If you are having trouble providing a copy of your bill, please don’t worry and call us on 0800 988 2881.
To replace a broken heating system or boiler you will be emailed or posted a separate application form. You will need to complete it and return it alongside your supporting evidence before your application can be considered.
We reserve the right to ask each applicant applying for assistance to provide evidence to support their application. If we request evidence this will be made by email or phone, the information you send needs to be emailed to whsf6@actonenergy.org.uk or sent to:
Worcestershire Household Support Fund, Act on Energy, Unit 2, Lauriston Business Park, Pitchill, EVESHAM, WR11 8SN
Fuel Payments and Fuel Vouchers
The Household Support Fund is not an emergency service. We will endeavour to make fuel payments once the council have approved your case after they have run the DWP check or upon receipt of the correctly completed form and supply of evidence. Please do not call and chase payments within this time period as this will not make the process any quicker, you will be advised by email when a payment has been made. These schemes are very admin-heavy so help is not always available immediately and it may take up to ten working days after payment has been made for the fuel payments to appear on your energy accounts.
Fuel Debt
Once we receive your completed application, with the correct supporting evidence, if approved, your case will then be referred to Step Change or Citizens Advice, you must engage with these services before any payments can be released.
Physical Interventions
Applicants will be required to complete application forms and return these with evidence. Installations of boilers, etc., are subject to quotations and approval. Unfortunately, work is not guaranteed to take place but once approved, this process can take some time, depending on the measures and availability of contractors.
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