British Gas has confirmed that its Individual and Families Fund can provide up to £1,700 in energy debt relief to customers of rival suppliers. The fund, which serves Birmingham households, is open to both prepayment meter and credit customers of any energy supplier.
Eligibility Criteria for the Grant
To qualify, applicants must live in England, Scotland, or Wales. Prepayment customers must owe between £50 and £1,700 in energy debt, while credit customers must owe between £250 and £1,700. British Gas will verify the account balance at the time of assessment; if the total combined arrears exceed £1,700, the application will be declined.
The energy firm advises: "Please continue to maintain your payment arrangement whilst your application is in progress." Other requirements include not having received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust within the last two years. Additionally, applicants must have a household income of less than £20,328, or have someone in the household registered disabled receiving a disability benefit, or receiving Carers Allowance, or have three or more children.
Application Conditions
Applicants must be seeking a grant to clear outstanding debt on a current energy account in their name and at their place of residence. The energy provider stated: "We cannot consider applications for closed accounts (i.e. if you have moved home or changed supplier)."
Furthermore, applicants must have received help from a money advice agency or used British Gas's trusted partner's self-help budgeting calculator tool within the last six months. If all criteria are met, applicants may be eligible for a Trust grant and can apply online.
Fund Status and Clarifications
The energy giant noted: "British Gas Energy Support Fund is currently closed." However, the Individual and Families Fund remains open. The firm added: "Please note, we are an Independent Charity and cannot respond to complaints regarding gas or electricity accounts held with British Gas."
