FV Info

In East and West Sussex, fuel vouchers that cannot be covered by the Household Support Fund are provided under the Redress scheme in the first instance. This fund allows a maximum of 3 pre-payment vouchers only and does not include cash vouchers.

We will endeavour to issue vouchers for requests received by 3pm with the correct documentation attached. Any requests received after this may be issued the following working day.

Principles of the scheme

Client must be facing financial crisis
Client must be on a low income, receiving benefits or have no means of accessing other funds
Only “approved referrers” should add tasks to the Sussex Fuel Voucher Scheme Referrals task list
Referrals can be made by third party organisations through our online referral form – these clients should still be called and assessed by advisers
Single vouchers are for people living alone or living as a single person household in a shared house. Family vouchers are for all other circumstances, e.g. couple, single person plus children, etc.

In all circumstances, please ensure you have attached evidence of the client’s energy supplier to the case. This could be a PPM statement, supplier app screenshot showing name and address or if neither of these available then a photo of payment cards showing name/ key. A photo of the meter is not acceptable.

Please use the tag "Emergency Utility Grant - Sussex" in your Casebook notes which will trigger the questions needed to issue a voucher once you click save. Once complete, approved referrers (such as supervisors) should task the Sussex Fuel Voucher Scheme Referrals task list.

The questions you will be asked:

Is the client responsible for someone under 18 who lives in the property?

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)

British Gas
Any other provider
N/A

FOR USE IN EAST SUSSEX ONLY - For cash voucher requests, what will the voucher be used for?

Credit meter (e.g. direct debit, pay on receipt of bill)
Oil supply
House of Multiple Occupation or paying landlord for fuel directly
Park home
Other
Water bill
Pay-as-you-go mobile top up

Is the client actively engaged with the local Citizens Advice? (cash vouchers are generally not issued on client's first contact

Yes
No
First contact

FOR USE IN EAST SUSSEX ONLY - If a cash voucher, how much is required?

£20
£40
£50 (families only)
N/A

If a fuel voucher, what value of voucher is required?

Single (£28)
Family (£49)
N/A

What number voucher will this be for the client under this scheme?

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th

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 LONGER APPLICABLE No - this is the first voucher and exploration suggests financial crisis

What is the client's financial situation?

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

Has the client met the current vulnerability criteria for this grant?

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 (client has given consent to share data with Charis)
Text to client (consent to share given)
Email to LCA (please include email in task)
Post to client (only for clients without email)
Email to be sent via fuel voucher admin (no consent to share with Charis)

ID requirements: If client is known to the service this may be on file from previous notes

Passport or driving licence showing current address (not to be uploaded to case but please state clearly in notes that evidence of this has been seen by adviser)
Household energy bill showing name and address
Bank statement showing name and address and showing benefit payment if they receive one (Preferred where possible)
Council tax bill showing name and address
Latest benefit letter or UC screenshots (preferred where possible) clearly showing name and address
Immigration documents

Evidence of crisis: Could include the following

Bank statement showing client in deficit or low funds
Waiting on a benefit decision
Sudden unexpected bill/ cost
Recent homelessness/ fleeing domestic abuse (other organisations may verify this)
Latest UC screenshot showing name and address and last or next payment date
Other recent income-based benefit letters
Proof of no recourse to public funds
Any other proof deemed appropriate by an authorised person

Please ensure details of the client’s crisis are clear in your case notes. Why is it that they cannot afford to top up? When is their next benefit payment due? How much credit is left on their PPM?

Other things to consider:

Has the client received energy advice from our specialist energy team?
If the issue stems from poor budgeting could the client be referred to budgeting support?
Do they require debt advice?

IMPORTANT!

In order to meet GDPR requirements, the following statement should be added to any voucher case notes where the voucher will be sent to the client directly from our provider. In person interactions should have the consent to share document completed instead.

"The client consented to us sharing their name, address, telephone number and email with Charis/Evouchers for the purposes of providing a fuel voucher."

Suppliers Friendly credit and Emergency credit guide

For details of supplier’s emergency credit limits and hours where the client is not at risk of disconnection please see the table below.

Supplier	Friendly Credit - Starts/ ends next working day	Emergency Credit on each	Extra notes	Link to website
British Gas	6pm - 9am	£10	Additional support credit available - 03301000303 or via chat	Using Emergency Credit for Pay As You Go - Meters - Help & Support - British Gas
Bulb (Octopus)	6pm - 9am	£10	N/A	Using Emergency Credit and Friendly Credit on your smart top up (prepay) meter – Bulb
Boost	N/A	£5 - £15	Customer support package available and can apply for 'discretionary credit'. Energy fund available (£16,190)	https://www.boostpower.co.uk/customer-support-package
EDF	N/A	£10	N/A	N/A
E Energy	8pm - 8am Mon to Sat, Sun until nwd	?	Smart meters - 3pm - 10am Mon to Fri all day Sat/ Sun BH's un til 10am nwd (Also offer bereavement Support on 03331039575	Support \| E Gas & Electricity
EON Next	EON Next 4pm - 10am Mon - Fri	N/A	Also E.ON Next Energy fund	Smart Pay As You Go \| help and support \| E.ON Next (eonnext.com)
Octopus	4pm - 10am	£10	Also on traditional PPM's but not gas meter	Using Emergency Credit and Friendly Credit on your smart prepayment meter \| Octopus Energy
OVO	6pm - 9am	£5	N/A	What happens if I run out of credit during the night or at the weekend? \| OVO Energy
Scottish Power	6pm - 11am Mon to Sat	£10	Friendly credit - All day Sun and bank hols. Electric only	New to Pay As You Go (scottishpower.co.uk)
SSE	6pm - 9am	£5	N/A	Pay As You Go (Prepayment) meters - Help and Support - SSE
Shell	8pm - 9am	£10	N/A	What is Friendly Credit? – Help home (shellenergy.co.uk)
SO Energy	4pm - 10am	£10	N/A	Smart Pay-As-You-Go Help Centre \| So Energy
Utilita	2pm - 10am	£15	Power up available (up to £40 electric & £60 gas)	Utilita – The only energy company created to help households use less energy.
Utility Warehouse	4pm - 10am Mon - Fri	£20 Traditional £10 Smart	N/A	Energy FAQs (uw.co.uk)