Benefits and support Help with fuel

Get help if you are struggling to pay for fuel

If you are struggling to pay your electricity or gas bills, or risk being disconnected, we can pay between £30 and £49 to buy emergency fuel or avoid disconnection.

To qualify you must:

  • live within the area covered by Manchester City Council and
  • be 16 or over and 
  • have no capital or savings and
  • get one of the following benefits:
    Universal Credit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment Support Allowance, or get Guaranteed Pension Credit.

Your household must have:

  • a child under five years old or
  • someone who has a disability or serious health needs, or
  • someone who is over pension age
  • someone who is vulnerable.

How you get the payment

We will make the payment by topping up pre-paid meter cards.  We will not be able to make more than one payment to any one household, in any 12 month period.

If your application is successful, we'll email you a utilities voucher that you'll need to print out (you can print it out for free at your local library). If you can't do this, you can collect it from our Customer Service Centre.

You can use the voucher anywhere that has a 'Paypoint' terminal and will need to take an official letter or bill that confirms your name and address (find your nearest PayPoint).

You apply for this payment through our 'welfare provision' scheme. You can only apply online, and you will need to know your National Insurance number. See where you can use computers for free.

Please note

If you are applying for support, you should only select the Household Support Fund option on the Welfare Provision application form if either:

  • You have a new claim for Universal Credit or Pension Credit and your claim began on 19 August 2023 or up to 2 months after this date or;
  • You received a nil award of Universal Credit or Pension Credit for an award period that covers 18 August 2023 to 17 September 2023 but received an award of Universal Credit or Pension Credit in an assessment period up to two months after this date.

If this does not apply to you, choosing the Household Support Fund option may delay your application. Find out whether you qualify for a Household Support Fund Payment

Get advice if you can't get welfare provision

Please read our Welfare Provision Scheme Privacy Notice

Find out more about how we run the Welfare Provision Scheme

Read advice about other ways to cut your energy costs

 

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