\n However, eligibility is based on council tax bands rather than household income.\n<\/p>\n
\n READ MORE: John Swinney makes \u2018no apology\u2019 as he hits back at foreign trip critics<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n Official estimates show 12% of households in the bottom 30% of incomes will not qualify, while 17% of \u201cfuel-stressed\u201d households, which spend at least 10% of their family budgets on energy bills, will also miss out.\n<\/p>\n \n Analysis by social policy think tank Policy in Practice found that a low-income family of five or more is 1.6 times more likely to live in a property in bands E to H than the average low-income household.\n<\/p>\n \n As a result, more than 130,000 larger, low-income households are expected to miss out on the \u00a3100 payment this winter.\n<\/p>\n \n Deven Ghelani, director of Policy in Practice, said: \u201cOver 800,000 low-income families are going to be missing out on this vital relief from high energy bills.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cMillions of people are [also] missing out on over \u00a324bn of [wider] support that is going unclaimed each year because of low awareness, administrative complexity and stigma.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n READ MORE: Commonwealth Games generated \u00a3223 million for Scotland, report finds<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n He further added that this was \u201cshocking at the best of times, but unforgivable in a cost of living crisis\u201d and urged ministers to do more to help people access support.\n<\/p>\n \n Ghelani also said: “Council Tax band targeting applies solely in England, with Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland receiving equivalent funding allocations. We encourage devolved leaders to adopt a more targeted approach so that relief reaches the households most in need.”\n<\/p>\n \n The think tank also found that 84% of households which will not qualify for the \u00a3100 payment either live with a disabled person, have children or are below the poverty line.\n<\/p>\n \n Campaigners have criticised the use of council tax bands to determine eligibility because they are based on 1991 property values, and have called for support to instead be linked to income or access to certain benefits<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \n The concerns come as households face another sharp increase in energy costs in the new year.\n<\/p>\n \n EDF predicts bills will rise by \u00a3469 on January 1, taking average annual bills to \u00a32192, while E.On Next forecasts an increase of \u00a3460.\n<\/p>\n \n Lower-income households are also less likely to pay their bills by direct debit, meaning they will not receive the \u00a3100 automatically.\n<\/p>\n \n Ghelani said many low-income households were also overdrawn, raising the possibility that money intended to help with heating costs would instead go towards existing debt.\n<\/p>\n \n The analysis was conducted using the Low-Income Family Tracker (Lift) analytics platform, which is used by more than 130 local authorities across the UK to support low-income residents.\n<\/p>\n \n Healey defended the support package, saying it was designed \u201cto take the pressure off in the coldest months and see people through to the spring\u201d.\n<\/p>\n \n \n He told the BBC: \u201cPeople see the breathing space that we have been able to offer in this budget first, but there\u2019s also big changes for the longer term.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cSo on energy, yes there\u2019s help for households now, there\u2019s help for the energy intensive business<\/a>, but there\u2019s big changes that mean an end to gas standing charges for households next year, an end to the government policy costs simply loaded on to consumer bills through levies.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n Healey announced in the Budget that he would also ask Ofgem to remove the fixed daily standing charge for gas in 2027<\/a>, or as soon as possible afterwards.\n<\/p>\n (Image: PA)\n<\/p>\n