Municipalities of Drenthe pay different energy allowances

In order to compensate for the rising energy costs, the government is providing minimum income with an energy surcharge. Last month, the cabinet decided to increase the target amount for the one-off energy surcharge from 200 to 800 euros.

Municipalities across the country have now started automatically paying out this allowance to residents on social assistance benefits. The guideline amount is 800 euros, but municipalities are free to deviate from this. The time of payment also differs per municipality.

Take Meppel. There, people entitled to social assistance receive their first 400 euros allowance at the end of April. The second 400 euros will follow in October. Emmen and Coevorden, on the other hand, have already received the 800 euros fully and in one go to their welfare recipients. Westerveld transferred the first 200 euros more than two weeks ago, but how many euros will follow and when they will follow is not yet known.

These differences are partly caused by lack of clarity from the government, according to discussions with a number of municipalities in Drenthe. Because when and how many municipalities will be compensated for the payment of the energy surcharge, will probably only become clear next month.

“The final bill from the energy supplier does not come to everyone at the same time, so we think it is best to spread the payment of the energy surcharge,” a spokesperson for the municipality of Meppel explains the choice for payment in installments.

But the city council has already set the amount of 800 euros. What is the advantage for citizens of having to wait until October for that second 400 euros? “There is no thought or philosophy behind it,” said the same spokesperson when asked.

Paying in installments has also been reviewed in Emmen, according to a spokesperson. “But people have been waiting for that energy surcharge for a while. And we saw that the first residents, who could no longer pay the energy bill, reported to us. That is why we decided to pay the 800 euros now and in one go.”

More than two weeks ago, people entitled to social assistance in Westerveld already received an energy allowance of 200 euros on their bill, but it is still unclear how much and when the rest will follow. “We hope to have more clarity about this next week. Otherwise, at least the following week,” said a spokesperson for the municipality.

But how is it possible that people in Westerveld are still thinking, while other municipalities have already dealt with it? “Because we have to look at where we get the money from to advance the rest of the energy surcharge. That is a lot of research,” explains the information officer. “We prefinanced the first 200 euros in mid-March. We no longer wanted to wait for clarity from the government, because the need was urgent. Coincidentally, it just happened to be announced that the government increased the target amount from 200 to 800 euros.”

There are also a number of municipalities where there is still no clarity, such as in Noordenveld. The municipality’s website states: “Residents who receive social assistance benefits from us will receive a message from us in April. Then they will be told whether they have to do anything to receive the amount.” A spokesperson could not find out on Friday why the arrangement is so.

Other groups of minimum wage earners who do not receive social assistance benefits, such as workers and self-employed persons with a minimum income and old age pensioners without a supplementary pension, do not automatically receive the energy allowance on their account. They can apply for these themselves at a later time from their municipality.

They will have to wait for more clarity, probably another month or two. Then most municipalities in Drenthe hope to hear from the government how much money will be made available for that group.