Fuel vouchers 2022
Essential Information (Summary)
· Cash vouchers (Up to 3 per client) includes those for phone and internet costs as well as other bills.
· Fuel vouchers (Up to 6 per client) please select British Gas or Other as applicable in the custom questions.
· *Wenceslas (specific locations only see bottom of page) up to 2 vouchers per client per year (in addition to above if applicable) to support fuel bills (cash vouchers for billing clients or fuel vouchers for pre-payment clients).
If client lives in a Wenceslas-eligible location please use the Wenceslas (West Sussex) tag and questions instead (the question content is broadly the same). If you aren’t sure whether Wenceslas is suitable check with your supervisor before selecting the tag and questions set to use.
· A single client is a client living alone, if the household is more than one person (except where a single person is living in shared accommodation) then a family voucher can be selected.
· **Supervisors should ensure the most appropriate fuel voucher scheme is chosen based on client location (see locations at bottom of page for Wenceslas) and that the correct tag and question set is completed by the adviser. For Wenceslas the supervisor should then task the Charis Administrator.
Principles of the scheme
· PayPoint/PayOut vouchers are available to those with pre-payment meters – these should be used for current usage, not to clear debts. If the client has a debt, the client or adviser should contact the supplier first to ensure the voucher is not used to clear the debt.
· Cash vouchers are available to those without pre-payment meters for fuel costs (or arrangements where they pay another household member or landlord) or the costs of water bills.
· 1 voucher is issued at a time, up to the maximums above for those still engaging with the service to resolve the cause of their crisis. Approved referrers can use their discretion to request more vouchers in one go.
· Client must be facing financial crisis
· Client must be on a low income, receiving benefits or have no recourse to public funds
· Client must have some kind of vulnerability in the household (full info below)
· Only “approved referrers” should add tasks to the Energy West Sussex task list on Casebook
· Referrals can be made by third party organisations through our online referral forms – these cases should still be assessed by advisers
The referral process for vouchers:
1. Adviser assesses need for voucher
2. Adviser discusses with supervisor whether eligibility has been met
3. If met, adviser writes up case and uses the tag “Emergency Utility Grant (Sussex)” or Wenceslas (West Sussex) where appropriate. At initial contact, client is asked to send in ID proof (something showing name and address). The first voucher can be issued without ID proof, however, due to recent instances of fraud (please keep mindful of any odd behaviour to flag and if any suspicious issues arise discuss with your supervisor who can raise this with ACCA). Unless there is a very demonstrable reason why ID cannot be returned, the expectation is that the client will send in or arrange to have sent the ID. This can be emailed directly to energy@arunchichestercab.org.uk or returned to csbureau and uploaded into Casebook by the adviser. Please make a note in the case notes that ID proof has been requested and client is due to be sending it in.
4. Adviser updates profile information to ensure correct email/address is on file
5. Adviser completes custom questions (referral form) that appear when saving the case
6. Authorised person adds a task for “Energy & Fuel voucher request – WEST SUSSEX” or instead tasks the Wenceslas Charis administrator, ensuring Wenceslas (West Sussex) tag and questions are completed as appropriate – if voucher is to be emailed to LCA, the email address should be provided in the task. The task should also confirm what is required, e.g. “1 family PayPoint voucher” or “1 single cash voucher”.
7. Referral is picked up by admin team and voucher is emailed/posted
The questions you will be asked:
Is the client responsible for someone under 18 who lives in the property?
· Yes
· No
For prepayment meter vouchers, who is the client’s fuel supplier?
Without this information, we cannot issue a voucher (please mark n/a if requesting cash voucher)
o British Gas
o Any other
o N/A
For cash voucher requests, what will the voucher be used for?
o Credit meter (e.g. direct debit, pay on receipt of bill)
o Oil supply
o House of Multiple Occupation or paying landlord for fuel directly
o Park home
o Other
o Water bill
o Pay-as-you-go mobile top up
o Internet costs
o N/A
Is the client actively engaged with the local Citizens Advice? (Cash vouchers are generally not issued on client’s first contact)
o Yes
o No
o First contact
If a cash voucher, how much is required?
o £20
o £40
o £50
o N/A
If a fuel voucher, what value of voucher is required?
· Single (£28)
· Family (£49)
· N/A
What number vouchers received will this be for the client under this scheme?
Select as relevant.
Have you confirmed the client is in a financial crisis?
- Yes – through actively working with the client
- Yes – proof sent for adviser to see
- No – this is the first voucher and exploration suggests financial crisis
Does the client meet one of the following criteria?
- On a means-tested benefit or awaiting a benefit decision
- Limited income and no recourse to public funds
- Has no other way of obtaining funds, e.g. funds needed to pay rent arrears to avoid homelessness
Yes or no.
Does the client meet one of the following criteria?
- Has a disability
- Is a carer to a child (including pregnant women) or disabled person
- Is of pension age and frail
- Has recently been housed following homelessness
- Has recently been released from an institution (e.g. prison, hospital)
- Is at risk of becoming homeless
- Is fleeing domestic abuse
- Is within the COVID-19 vulnerable groups
Yes or no.
Has the client’s identity been confirmed? (e.g. ID seen, benefit letters, bills)
- Confirmed
- Unable to confirm
- Repeatedly unable to confirm
How is the voucher to be sent to the client?
- Email to client (please update client profile)
- Email to LCA (please provide in task to Sussex Fuel Vouchers)
- Post to client (please update client profile)
Eligibility
ID requirements – Being unable to provide ID should not be a barrier to issuing a voucher. If you are issuing a client’s first voucher, you should ask them to email/post ID in advance of their next appointment, where possible. Acceptable ID includes:
- Passport (including expired)
- Driving licence (including expired)
- Household bills
- Benefit letters
- Immigration documents
- Student ID
- Bank statements
- Travel pass (e.g. bus, train, blue badge)
- Third party verification (e.g. referred by local authority)
- Any other proof deemed appropriate by an authorised person
Evidence of crisis – If you are already working with the client, you may have all the evidence you need. If client is not able to provide this on first contact, it should be requested for a follow up appointment, where possible. You do not need to attach this to Casebook if it not needed to assist the client with advice. Some examples of evidence of crisis:
- Bank statement
- Debt paperwork
- Waiting on a benefit decision
- Sudden unexpected bill/cost
- Recent homelessness/fleeing abuse (other organisations may verify this)
- Third party letters
- Any other proof deemed appropriate by an authorised person
How does it work?
- After the process is followed, the client is emailed a voucher number, alongside the instructions for the retailer
- Client takes their code to a retailer – usually PayPoint but for British Gas, it’s PayOut vouchers which can be redeemed in Post Offices. Clients can find their nearest PayPoint store here https://consumer.paypoint.com/. They do not need to print the voucher number. It is not a barcode and one is not required.
- The retailer follows the merchant instructions. For fuel top ups, the client will need to provide their key or card also.
- For cash vouchers, client will be provided with money from the shop’s till system to the appropriate value. For fuel vouchers, client should be provided with a receipt confirming the key/card has been credited.
- If the client experiences any issues with redeeming the vouchers on PayPoint, they should use the PayPoint telephone number provided in their email. PayPoint can speak to the shopkeepers and talk them through how to redeem the vouchers if they have not been successful with the instructions provided.
- Vouchers should be redeemed immediately as they are for emergency use. We can only guarantee their validity for 14 days, after which they may expire.
- Please inform our admin team of any stores that refuse vouchers so they can be logged with PayPoint – admin@arunchichestercab.org.uk or 01243 866233.
*Supplementary information for Supervisors for Wenceslas scheme only
Supervisors to task suitable cases to the project Charis Administrator based on need and client and client location. Up to 2 per client per calendar year. Other eligibility criteria and voucher amounts mirrors Fuel Voucher scheme.
The Wenceslas project no longer operates for East Grinstead and surrounding areas, please see the operational areas for Burgess Hill below.
The areas covered for Sussex Vale
Burgess Hill
Hassocks
Hurstpierpoint
Albourne
Pyecombe
Ditchling