Chancellor refuses to act as hundreds of thousands of poorest households miss out on energy support

Bobby Dean MP challenged the Chancellor after it emerged that hundreds of thousands of low-income households are set to miss out on the Government's £100 energy support payments.

Speaking at the Treasury Select Committee, Bobby questioned why the scheme would leave so many struggling families without support, while half of households in the wealthiest 10% would receive payments.

Despite being pressed on whether he would fix the scheme, the Chancellor refused to acknowledge that the payments were poorly targeted and insisted he stood by his decision.

Bobby Dean MP, said:

"Four years have passed since 2022 [energy crisis] and the best scheme we have since come up with means that hundreds of thousands of low-income households will miss out [on energy support]. That really does not feel good enough."

When Bobby pressed the Chancellor on whether he was satisfied with this outcome, John Healey MP replied:

"I stand by the judgement I made and the decision to make these household energy payments."

Transcript from Treasury Committee Wednesday 11 November 2026

Full transcript available here: https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/18279/pdf/

Bobby Dean: Four years have passed since 2022 and the best scheme we have since come up with means that hundreds of thousands of low-income households will miss out. I appreciate what you say about an alternative route via their having to claim through their local authority, but that really does not feel good enough. Are you determined to fix this? There will be more energy shocks in the future. Mr Bowler, are you going to make sure you get from the Chancellor whatever powers you need to come up with a more targeted scheme? Do you have any intention to fix it?

Chair: Do you have a plan to fix it, Chancellor?

Bobby Dean: Do you have any intention to fix it?

John Healey: I recognise that the range of routes and options are relatively restricted, but I do not accept the characterisation of the decisions I have taken in the household energy payments scheme as being somehow flawed. I think it is the right judgment. It hits a large majority of

those who are likely to need it most. It is important to recognise that it is not just those in the most need or the most impoverished who are under pressure with energy costs. That is why I took the decisions in the Budget to do it in this way.

Q392 Bobby Dean: I accept that, Chancellor. You might have taken the best available option—I have no doubt you would have agonised over that. But when one in eight households in the poorer half are going to miss out altogether and half of those in the richest 10% in the country are going to get support, that is not a properly targeted scheme, is it?

John Healey: Nine out of 10 of the poorest third will get it direct.

Bobby Dean: But this is hundreds of thousands of low-income households missing out, and you are satisfied with that?

John Healey: I stand by the judgement I made and the decision to make these household energy payments.