- More than 830,000 low-income families are set to miss out on the government's £100 energy bill discount due to how the scheme is targeted, according to analysis by Policy in Practice.
- The £100 Household Energy Payment, announced by chancellor John Healey, will automatically apply to households in council tax bands A to D at a cost of £2.6bn.
- Researchers highlighted that council tax bands are an imperfect proxy for need, with 84 per cent of excluded low-income households containing children, a disabled person or living below the poverty line.
- The Resolution Foundation estimates that roughly 1.4 million households in the bottom half of the UK's income distribution will not receive the relief payment.
- The government scheme comes as energy bills are projected to surge in January, with provider EDF forecasting a 27 per cent rise to £2,189.
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