Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Prohibits Foreign Trips to Address Backlog of Cases

At a glance

• Members of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have been prohibited from taking foreign trips due to a backlog of matters.
• The case of a disabled woman in Cumbria who was unable to access advice when she attempted to apply for financial assistance.
• The government declared a £400 reduction in energy bills, following an increase in costs due to Russia’s incursion into Ukraine.
• Businesses were given a discount, with the government introducing an energy price guarantee to cap the amount charged per unit of gas or electricity.
• Other measures included encouraging people to make energy-efficient changes to their home and providing a £650 financial assistance payment for those on means-tested benefits.

The details

Prohibition on Foreign Trips

Members of the newly formed Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have been prohibited from taking foreign trips due to a backlog of matters that have been brought to their attention by Members of Parliament.

Last month, Grant Shapps issued an order in an effort to expedite the response to cases raised on behalf of constituents, which had been deemed to be taking an inordinate amount of time.

Case of Disabled Woman in Cumbria

One such case was that of a disabled woman in Cumbria who was unable to access advice when she attempted to apply for financial assistance.

The individual was eligible for the warm homes discount, having been unable to continue working due to a degenerative health condition.

The program ran until March and provided discounts to the electricity bills of people with low incomes or who received the guarantee credit portion of pension credit.

The individual encountered difficulty in obtaining the £150 of support due to their spouse’s name appearing on their energy bill.

On 17 January, the local Member of Parliament, Tim Farron, raised the issue with the business department, which was later restructured by Rishi Sunak to form a separate energy department.

After more than a month, Farron was informed by the correspondence unit that a reply was delayed due to the high volume of emails.

This meant that the woman was no longer able to take advantage of the warm homes discount scheme, as it is set to expire this month.

Government Measures

Many households have worries regarding their energy bills, despite the series of measures announced by government officials.

Those using prepayment meters have experienced the most difficulty in accessing support and are in a precarious situation of disconnecting themselves or having their supply cut off if they are unable to access UK government support before it is terminated.

Grant Shapps placed significant emphasis on being responsive to both Members of Parliament and the general public, and the restriction on overseas trips was implemented to provide ministers with the opportunity to address the backlog of cases.

The prohibition was lifted within a couple of weeks, but it is known to be a policy that could be reinstated if ministers need to manage their workload.

To assist households during the winter season, the government declared a £400 reduction in energy bills, following an increase in costs due to Russia’s incursion into Ukraine.

Businesses were also given a discount, with the government introducing an energy price guarantee to cap the amount charged per unit of gas or electricity.

Other measures included encouraging people to make energy-efficient changes to their home and providing a £650 financial assistance payment for those on means-tested benefits.