A GWYNEDD resident has criticised the “misapplication of the eligibility criteria” behind the Welsh Government’s Winter Fuel Support Scheme.

The scheme, administered by Gwynedd Council for its residents on behalf of the Welsh Government, entitled eligible households to claim a one-off £200 payment to provide support towards paying their on-grid winter fuel bills.

Until yesterday (February 28), when applications closed, the scheme was open to households where one member is in receipt of working-age means tested benefits at any time during the qualifying period (December 1, 2021 to January 31, 2022).

This sum, doubled from £100, was available to new applicants and retrospectively paid to those who had already applied.

But Henry Williams, of Gwynedd, believes the application process was “fundamentally flawed” and “wholly wrong”.

He said: “Some people, some of the most vulnerable in society, particularly tenants, are being disenfranchised by misapplication of the eligibility criteria.

“The criteria states you must be in receipt of a welfare benefit from a list. It also states that you must be responsible for paying the bill.

“Applicants in receipt of a qualifying benefit are supplying copies of their receipts for paying on a pre-payment meter in support of their claim, and then being rebuffed and asked to supply proof the account is in their name, which they are unable to supply, instantly excluding eligible applicants from the scheme when they desperately need the help.

“I can only imagine the financial worry this must be causing many valid applicants; it is a scandal waiting to happen.

“This is fundamentally flawed when so many tenancies will have the account name in the name of the landlord.

“It is also not what is written in any web publication on the scheme and appears to have been made up ad-hoc by Gwynedd Council staff.

“The offer has been phrased quite intentionally not as the account holder but with the words: ‘You are responsible for paying the fuel bills’, so that tenants can claim by providing satisfactory evidence in the form of pre-payment receipts without landlord involvement, who have no eligibility for application.

“Supplying evidence in the form of copies of pre-payment receipts clearly demonstrates responsibility for paying the bill (though no bill is generated in this instance) and yet these applicants’ genuine and valid applications are being fettered by Gwynedd Council.

“This is wholly wrong.

“It cannot be the intent of the scheme to exclude so many in this situation and it needs to be remedied urgently, if not extended.”

The scheme is part of a wider support package of more than £50million issued to address “immediate pressures on living costs”.

A total of £38m has been earmarked through the Winter Fuel Support Scheme.

The Department for Work and Pensions and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs have confirmed that this payment will not affect an individual’s current benefits or be subject to tax.

In response to Mr Williams’ comments, a Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “Applicants are expected to demonstrate that they are responsible for the fuel bill for the property, which includes anyone paying for their fuel on pre-payment meters.

“The council’s Finance Department received over 6,200 applications, with over 4,900 payments made so far. Further applications are being considered.

“All applications are considered on their individual merits, with the latest figures showing that 923 applications have been refused.

“The majority of these have been because the applicant was not in receipt of the required benefits as set out in the Welsh Government criteria for the scheme, pay off-grid for their fuel or have not provided sufficient evidence that they were responsible for paying the bills.

“It is incorrect to suggest that Gwynedd Council operates any blanket policy to refuse all pre-payment meter customers.

“This is not the case, and the assessors are well aware of the scheme eligibility criteria.

“We should also emphasise that the council officers who assess the claims are custodians of public funds and as such must be satisfied that any payments made are done so correctly and within the scheme guidance.

“We have not received specific information on individual cases where the council has not assessed claims correctly.

“Anyone who requires financial assistance with off-grid fuel costs (such as oil, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) or coal) can consider applying to the Discretionary Assistance Fund for help (more details at: gov.wales/discretionary-assistance-fund-daf).”

A Welsh Government spokesperson added: “Our Winter Fuel Support Scheme is a targeted intervention to help people with the cost-of-living crisis, specifically focused towards those who suffered an income shock when the UK Government abruptly ended the £20 weekly uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit.

“On February 15, we announced a £330m package of measures to further help people with the rising cost-of-living crisis.

“This will help extend the Winter Fuel Support Scheme for a further year next winter.

“We are looking at how the scheme can reach more households so more people receive the £200 payment.”