The scheme allows eligible households to apply for a one-off payment of £200 if they receive support through the Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) and rely on heating oil or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
On this page:
- What is the Scheme
- Eligibility
- Apply for the scheme
- How payments are made
- Appealing a decision
What is the scheme
The UK Government has allocated £3.8 million to Wales to support people on low incomes who are affected by high energy costs due to the conflict in the Middle East. Eligible households will receive a one-off payment of £200 if they receive support through the Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) and rely on heating oil or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
This payment is intended to ease some of the financial pressure faced by low-income households due to rising costs for heating oil and LPG. The payment may help households place an order they would otherwise not be able to afford. It may also help reduce the risk of falling into wider debt if a household has recently paid for a delivery at a much higher cost than before the conflict. Reducing money worries may also help improve the mental wellbeing of people living in the household.
The main aim is for the payment to be made in cash wherever possible, rather than as a credit to an account or a voucher. This allows the recipient to decide how they use the money. Eligible households can choose which bank account the payment is made into.
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Eligibility
A payment of £200 can be made to a household if both of the following conditions are met.
1. Council Tax Reduction Scheme condition
The person or people identified by the local authority as responsible for paying council tax must have been receiving support through the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, or have applied successfully for it, at some point between 1 April 2026 and 31 July 2026.
2. Main heating provided by heating oil or LPG
Households receiving Council Tax Reduction Scheme support must also meet all of the following conditions:
- Their main source of heating or hot water is heating oil or LPG.
- They provide evidence such as a bill that shows the same address as the claimant and is no more than six months old.
- The claimant lives in the property as their main or primary home.
Local authorities running the scheme can reasonably assume that households responsible for paying council tax are also responsible for paying for heating oil or LPG.
One payment per household
Each household can only receive one payment of £200 under the scheme.
Where there is joint responsibility for council tax, only one payment will be made. This will usually be paid to the first named person on the council tax bill, unless the local authority is told otherwise. If this is not possible, the local authority can decide who the most appropriate person is to receive the payment.
Primary residence payments only
A payment can only be made for the property a person lives in as their main home. Second homes are not included in the scheme.
No effect to means-tested benefits
The Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed that payments made under Local Welfare Provision are ignored when assessing entitlement to Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income-related Employment and Support Allowance meaning that these benefits will not be affected. People receiving Universal Credit will also not see any change to their entitlement as a result of receiving this payment.
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Apply for the Support Scheme
Apply for off grid heating fuel support
The closing date for applications is 30th September 2026
How payments are made
Local authorities will contact eligible households to confirm that the bank details they hold are the account the person wants the payment paid into. They must also confirm that heating oil or LPG is still used as the main source of heating in the property.
Appealing a decision
There is no right of appeal. A decision not to award a payment will be made where a household does not meet the conditions of the scheme.
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