Help with fuel bills for poorer households in North

A fuel credit plan worth £15m (€16.67m) will cut the electricity bills of thousands of households in the North this winter, it was announced today.

The scheme, which forms part of an aid package to combat the economic downturn unveiled by the Executive, will see people claiming income support or pension credits receive a £150 (€167) cut in their first electricity bill next year.

Finance Minister Nigel Dodds is to unveil details of the package at a special sitting of the Assembly today, where he is also expected to announce a freeze in a planned increase on non-domestic rates – a move which it is hoped will boost the business sector.

The Executive held a special meeting this morning to finalise the economic package, which will be debated in the Assembly today.

Mr Dodds said that, having considered the finances available to the Executive, he was able to make a series of announcements.

“The Executive entered this monitoring round at a time when the economic conditions across the world are in decline, with little indication that the end is in sight despite the unprecedented measures by a number of national governments,” he said.

“The changing economic conditions are impacting on all of us, whether it is in terms of household bills or the prospects of local business.

“Although the public sector has been quoted as a cushion for Northern Ireland in terms of the economy, it also needs to be recognised that the downturn has also impacted on the level of resources available to the Executive.”

He nevertheless unveiled a detailed package of measures which included:

:: A total of 100,000 households will get a £150 (€167) cut in electricity bills for people claiming not only income support, as had originally been proposed, but also pension credit;

:: A one-year freeze of a 2.7% rates increase that was expected to hit businesses next year, which will be followed by a new rates relief scheme for small businesses;

:: Bringing forward building projects, including schools, to help boost the construction industry;

:: £20m (€22.25m) for the farm nutrient management scheme, which should fuel building projects at farms and so boost construction firms;

:: Nearly £10m (€11.12m) will go towards schools maintenance, roads maintenance and public transport schemes, which it is envisaged will also boost the building sector;

:: Half a million pounds in flood hardship will go to farming, while £0.7m (€0.77m) will support Harbour and Light dues for the fishing industry;

:: A series of other schemes will support health projects and funding for part-time youth workers;

:: £5m (€5.56m) was pledged to boost the housing programme of the Department of Social Development;

:: A rates concession for houses incorporating environmentally friendly energy-saving schemes.