Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask His Majesty's Government when the energy support payments they pledged would be made available to all regions of the UK will be paid to people living in Northern Ireland; and what is the reason for the delay in making these payments.

On 19 December the Government announced that all households in Northern Ireland will receive support with their energy bills this winter through a single payment of £600. This is made up of £400 under the Energy Bills Support Scheme and £200 under the Alternative Fuel Payment. This will be delivered through electricity suppliers, with payments starting in January.

For Northern Ireland we have developed and will deliver a separate and bespoke scheme, working with the separate Northern Ireland electricity suppliers, and respecting the very different nature of the energy market in that part of the United Kingdom.