Carmichael calls for any left-out households to get in touch on Alternative Fuel Payment

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today called on families living off the gas grid in the isles, who have yet to receive their Alternative Fuel Payment, to contact his office if they believe they are eligible.

Households may be eligible for the £200 Alternative Fuels Payment if their household is not connected to the mains gas grid and uses alternative fuels (tank or bottled gas, liquid petroleum gas, oil, wood, or solid fuel) as the main form of heating. This means that almost all households in Orkney and Shetland should receive the payment.

Most homes that are eligible for this payment will have received it automatically as a credit on their electricity bills. Some may not have received the payment automatically, generally either because their home is in an area which is mainly connected to the gas grid, or they are not connected to either the gas or the electricity grid. These people will have to apply through the AFP Alternative Fund which will open by the end of February.

The data used to determine eligibility for the Alternative Fuel Payment is partially based on the 2011 census, due to delays in the most recent Scottish census. Mr Carmichael has previously raised concerns that there may be a heightened risk of people being left out due to outdated data.

Mr Carmichael said:

“Many people across the isles have already received their Alternative Fuel Payment support in the last few days. That is of course good news for those who have been waiting for some months. It also means, however, that we need to ensure that no one who is entitled to support has been left out.

“I am already helping one constituent who has been left out of the automatic payment and so there is clearly a risk of people slipping through the cracks. If you have yet to see a credit on your bill by the end of the month, it is worth checking your eligibility – and getting in touch if you need support in applying.

“The consequence of SNP ministers’ choice to delay the census in Scotland while it went ahead across the rest of the country is that some of the data used to determine these payments is woefully out of date. I hope that this will not leave many people waiting but we have to ensure that no one is left behind.

“Hard-pressed families who live outside the gas grid across Scotland have been waiting anxiously for fuel payments to finally kick in. We cannot afford any barriers to people getting the support they need.”