§ Mr. Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will now give details of the electricity bill discount scheme for the winter.
§ Dr. John A. CunninghamAll regular recipients of supplementary benefit or family income supplement who are in benefit in the week of 16th January 1978 will receive an extra payment of £5 when claiming benefit for that week. This is to help with electricity or other fuel costs.
Recipients of these benefits who receive an electricity board bill for electricity charges exceeding £20 may claim a discount of 25 per cent. of the amount above £20. The bills which qualify for this assistance will be related to meter readings due to take place in the three months to 31st March 1978 and will indicate the amount of the discount in simple coded form. Vouchers to cover this amount will be issued by post offices to electricity consumers who present their qualifying bill together with their allowance order book or Girocheque. Explanatory leaflets with more detailed advice on procedure will be available from post offices, electricity showrooms, local 240W government offices and many other agencies from 12th December, and I shall send copies to hon. Members. Meanwhile, I have placed in the Library copies of a Press notice issued on 18th October which included this information.