Starmer told heating oil support not enough as ‘Scots could get just £35’

Sir Keir Starmer has been told his support package to help people deal with sharp rises in heating oil is not enough.

Citizens Advice Scotland said the Prime Minister’s £53 million support package, £4.6 million of which will go to Scotland, fails to meet the scale of the problem.

The Poverty Alliance SPA warned that off-the-grid Scots may receive just £35 in support.

The fund was announced by the UK Government on Monday but will be up to the Scottish Government to administer.

The SNP described the UK Government’s support as a “drop in the ocean”.

Around 130,000 homes in Scotland use heating oil, the price of which has risen sharply since the US and Israeli war against Iran.

The Poverty Alliance said that if a similar approach to the one taken during the last energy crisis in the winter of 2023, where off-grid households were given £200 to pay for heating oil, is taken, the current support could amount to just over £35 per household.

Peter Kelly, the charity’s chief executive, said: “In a just and compassionate Scotland, everyone should be able to heat their home without fear of choosing between warmth or food on the table – but households relying on heating oil are facing sharp price increases as a result of the war in the Middle East.

“We’re pleased that the UK Government has listened to campaigners and put some support in place.

“We look forward to seeing the details of how the money will be spent – but looking at the headline costs, we are worried it won’t be enough to give people the help they need.”

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) said households, particularly those in island and rural communities, were “desperately worried” about the price spike.

It said the current “crisis” caused by war in the Middle East was “another blow to their already stretched finances”.

“Recent events have once again exposed the exposed the precarity that is baked into our energy system,” CAS director of impact David Hilferty said.

“The system is broken. Today the focus is on people who use oil to heat their homes, but for gas and electricity users too, the Ofgem price cap is not providing adequate cover and only guaranteed until July.

“The UK Government must do more. We desperately need an energy system that works for everyone. The need for long-term, consistent support that affords people financial stability and peace of mind is abundantly clear.“

Both CAS and the Poverty Alliance called for a social tariff on energy bills, with CAS also calling for energy debt to be written off.

The Poverty Alliance also warned that energy bills could double when the current cap comes to an end in June, forcing more families into fuel poverty.

Age UK said the current funding for heating oil support was “unlikely to match the scale of the challenge” and warned older people in the UK are already struggling with their bills.

SNP MSP Karen Adam said any support was welcome, but added: “This is a drop in the ocean and after talking it up all weekend, the level of cash delivered here is far from enough from the Labour UK Government.

“There is a fundamental injustice that people in energy-rich Scotland find themselves fuel poor – that a nation with our offshore industry can find its people struggling to afford to fill the oil tank.

“Scotland’s rural communities are being let down by a UK Labour Government that only acts in Scotland’s interests when it is forced to and when it remembers – time and again Scotland’s people and our industries are an afterthought to Westminster. ”

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said the cash announced on Monday will ensure families in Scotland are protected from the soaring price of heating oil.

He said the Scottish Government “must act quickly and decisively to make sure this money reaches the pockets of families as soon as possible”.

Energy consumers minister Martin McCluskey added: “In England, this funding will be available from April 1 – people across Scotland should not have to wait any longer.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We have encouraged the UK Government to recognise the seriousness of the situation for people whose homes are heated using heating oil and to provide financial support.

“We welcome that the UK Government has begun to heed this call and has confirmed that extra support will be provided. This cannot be the end of the action that is taken by the UK Government, as these households will continue to require protection from price volatility in this area.

“We will swiftly analyse the specifics of what limited extra funding is being proposed and will work at pace to assess how it would be best distributed. We will set out the details of this soon.”