£600 Northern Ireland energy payment delay 'nothing short of a disgrace', says older people's commissioner Eddie Lynch

Charities and consumer groups have also slammed the delays, with one going so far as to warn of possible deaths due to exposure to the cold in extreme cases of fuel poverty this winter.

It was revealed in the House of Commons earlier this week that £600 worth of payments - already being paid out in the rest of the UK - won't make their way to Northern Ireland households until the New Year.

Energy bill support payments worth £400 per household were announced by the government in May and began paying out in Great Britain in October. In Northern Ireland, however, the wait continues and it is now set to be January at the earliest before the money is paid out.

A further £200 has also been promised to every household - intended to replace a subsidy scheme for those connected to the gas network elsewhere in the UK since the overwhelming majority of homes here are heated with oil - but this too has been beset by delay.

The UK government has sought to pin the blame on the collapse of devolved government at Stormont, while the DUP has insisted the money could and should have been paid out directly by Westminster earlier.

Meanwhile, households are facing up to a painful Christmas without the same level of support as citizens elsewhere in the UK.

Old folks' commissioner Eddie Lynch, in a statement issued to the News Letter after it became clear the money would not be forthcoming until after Christmas, said older people will be among those to suffer as a result of the delays.

"The news that there is now going to be an even further delay to energy payments being made in Northern Ireland, will be devastating to many older people who are already struggling this winter," Mr Lynch said.

"These payments will be vital to many who have been desperately waiting on this support to get them through the coming months and heat their homes."

He continued: "It is a nothing less than a disgrace to learn of yet further delay around these payments. Older people need urgent clarity on what they are getting and when.

"We are in an emergency situation and everything possible must be done to ensure these payments are made as soon as possible."

The fuel poverty charity National Energy Action has also spoken out against the delays.

The organisation’s Northern Ireland policy officer, Jamie Miller, said: “We are deeply concerned about the impact that will be caused by the ongoing delays to the Energy Bill Support Scheme in Northern Ireland. These delays mean many households will experience significant additional hardship this winter and some of the most vulnerable in our society will be exposed to severe risk of negative impacts on their health and wellbeing, and in the most extreme cases deaths, from exposure to the cold.”

The consumer rights organisation Which? has also spoken out. Director of policy and advocacy Rocio Concha said: "Government should stop at nothing and work closely with suppliers to ensure that people receive this financial support as soon as possible - so that the many people struggling have some relief this winter."