Business
Postcode glitch freezes pensioners out of winter heating benefit
Katy McCloskey and Chris Clements
BBCPeople on low incomes could be losing out on a grant for winter heating bills because postcodes are missing from an energy supplier’s website.
Scottish Gas were warned last autumn that customers on means-tested benefits living in a specific Glasgow postcode were unable to apply for the Warm Home Discount online. More than a year later, the website has still not been fixed.
Tenants and charities have criticised the power company, with Energy Action Scotland telling the BBC that it’s “absolutely incredible” the problem hasn’t been solved.
Scottish Gas said addresses for new build properties may not have been registered correctly with Royal Mail and it hopes to have the website updated.
‘That money would make a big difference’
The Warm Home Discount of £150 is paid automatically by energy suppliers to those on the guaranteed element of Pension Credit.
Other households of any age on a low income can also be eligible via the “broader group” category, but they have to manually apply and enter details about their means-tested benefit.
Annie Dougherty, 71, lives in Govan with her husband Sammy.
She tried to apply online via the Scottish Gas website in November 2024 but found her postcode was missing from the dropdown box on the site.
This meant she could not continue her application.
Annie believes she is eligible for the discount because she claims Housing Benefit.
She told BBC Scotland: “I think it’s ridiculous.
“I don’t know what they are playing at. They say our postcode isn’t registered with Scottish Gas website but they manage to send us bills with our postcode on them.
“We didn’t get the Warm Home Discount last year and we’re not getting it this year. That would make a big difference, it would be £150 off my bill each year.”
Annie said she worries about her bills.
“I get fed up with it, I really do.
“We only put our heating on if it’s really cold. We go to our beds early so we don’t have to have the heating on. And I only put my tumble dryer on once a week.
“I try my best to cut back on things but it’s hard.”
The flats where the Doughertys live were built in 2024.
“None of us in this block or the block next door get it,” Annie added.
Missing postcodes ‘flagged a year ago’
Gordon Brown, of local charity Glasgow Action for Pensioners, first spotted the problem in November last year, and said he flagged it with the energy supplier.
He said: “In this area we know of 46 residences where the Scottish Gas database doesn’t recognise the postcode.
“Most of them are elderly people who would be on the qualifying benefits. These people could be sitting cold.”
He said Scottish Gas had offered a “workaround” for affected customers, but he described the process as “complicated”.
“They’ve told me to use the head office postcode and then phone up with a number from the website and they can sort it manually,” he said.
“Why can’t they just fix their database?
“We don’t know how many people are in the exact same boat.
“People don’t have the ability or time to phone them up to ask what’s going on and why the website doesn’t work.”
Fuel poverty charity Energy Action Scotland said it was expecting an additional 250,000 households in Scotland to receive the broader Warm Home Discount payment this winter.
Households need to be receiving a means-tested benefit such as Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.
Suppliers then check eligibility with the Department for Work and Pensions or Social Security Scotland.
Frazer Scott, chief executive at Energy Action Scotland, said he found the situation in Govan “incredible”.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous that, for a company with the resources that Scottish Gas has, they cannot get this right.
“It should have been sorted a long time ago.”
He added: “I cannot understand why it is left to the eligible person, someone who is in need of financial support and someone who is likely in difficult circumstances, that they have to try and come up with a fix for this when it should be energy supplier moving heaven and earth to help these people.
“There is a huge question mark about people’s ability to engage when many of the only routes companies seem to have available these days are electronic or web-based.
“Companies are not working hard enough to support all their customers fairly. People should be at the heart of the system, not processes.”
‘Not registered correctly’
Scottish Gas said it was “sorry to hear that some residents in Glasgow’s Govan area have had some trouble completing their Warm Home Discount application through the online portal”.
A spokesperson added: “It appears the address details for these new builds may not have been registered correctly with the Royal Mail and we’re helping to get these updated.
“To reassure customers, our advisors can help with completing the form and ensuring their application is successfully processed.”
BBC Scotland has contacted Royal Mail for comment.
Business
India-US trade: Exports rebound in November; supply-chain shifts and holiday restocking drive recovery, says GTRI – The Times of India
India’s exports to the US bounced back in November after two months of dip. The rebound was largely supported by supply-chain adjustments and pre-holiday season inventory restocking, according to the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI). This recovery came despite the US imposing 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods since August.
November India-US trade snapshot amid higher tariffs
- Exports to the US rose 22.61 per cent in November to $6.98 billion, reversing declines seen between May and September.
- Smartphones (largest export item): Exports fell from $2.29 billion in May to $884.6 million in September, before rising to $1.8 billion.
- Gems and jewellery: Slumped from $500.2 million in May to $202.8 million in September, then rebounded to $406.2 million.
- Machinery and mechanical appliances: Declined to $516.8 million in September, before nearly returning to peak levels at $614.6 million in November.
- Pharmaceuticals: Shipments rose to $669.2 million in November, but remained below May levels.
- Mineral fuels and oils (tariff-exempt): Fell from $291.5 million in May to $251.5 million in September, before climbing to $274.3 million.
GTRI said the rebound came after a sharp fall in exports earlier in the year, triggered by uncertainty surrounding impending tariff hikes. GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava said US buyers initially delayed orders and ran down inventories. “Once the higher tariffs became certain, exporters and US buyers began adjusting, absorbing part of the cost, renegotiating prices, and shifting toward less-affected or hard-to-substitute products,” he said.However, the think tank also warned that this recovery might not last. They claimed that it was more about adjusting to tougher tariffs rather than a permanent improvement. The think tank also added that businesses were using short-term strategies to cope with the new trade environment.
A social action charity has welcomed the decision to increase the living wage in Jersey to £15.10 per hour in 2026.
The new rate was approved this week and will come into effect at the beginning of January.
The living wage is £1.51 higher than Jersey’s minimum wage which is set to increase to £13.59 per hour from April 2026.
Caritas Jersey CEO, Patrick Lynch, said the living wage was the minimum islanders needed “in order to thrive, and not just survive here in Jersey”.
Mr Lynch said: “This will be good news for many at accredited organisations and their subcontractors, ahead of the new year, when many people will have increased rental costs and also face increases in the cost of some utilities and other day to day expenses.
“The Jersey Living Wage has never been as important as it is now for so many people with poverty unfortunately still increasing and a continued rise in food bank usage in our island.
“Putting that in perspective, in February 2022 one food bank was seeing 195 families; that figure has now risen to over 640 families.
“The majority of the people who form this increase are people in work, on minimum or low wages.”
He added the differential between the minimum wage and the Jersey Living Wage “remained worryingly high” and something “Assembly members should ponder as they debate the budget this week and look ahead to next June’s general election”.
Michael RaceBusiness reporter
BBCSixes, the cricket-themed social chain backed by England captain Ben Stokes, has gone into administration following a “challenging trading period”.
All of the company’s 15 UK-based venues remain open, but one branch in Southampton has closed following the decision, with three staff members losing their jobs.
Administrators FRP Advisory said talks were under way with a “number of interested parties” about a sale for the business and its strongest-performing sites, suggesting some other closures could happen.
Tony Wright, joint administrator, said the priority was to “secure the best outcome for the business” while honouring customer bookings “through the Christmas period and beyond”.
Sixes, which was launched in 2020, is a chain that combines hospitality with cricket. It hosts parties in which people face bowling machines and try to score as many runs as possible.
It is part of a similar social entertainment approach offered by rivals including Flight Club and Boom Battle Bar, and is backed in part by 4Cast, an investment group founded by Stokes, current and former England bowlers Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad, and former player turned agent Mike Turns.
Sixes entered administration last week, before England lost the Ashes following defeat in the third test match against Australia in Adelaide.
It is not known how big a share 4Cast, which injected cash back in 2023, has in Sixes. The BBC has contacted 4Cast for comment.
FRP Advisory said while the business had a “core of strongly performing sites, others have struggled”, amid “fierce competition for experiential venues and reduced consumer spending due to economic uncertainty”.
It said besides the Southampton branch which had closed, its remaining venues and franchises would remain open and all bookings would be honoured through the festive period.
The main job of administration is to try to save the company.
When businesses are losing money, they may borrow some to pay bills, however, if a company cannot pay its debts or borrow any more cash, a team may be brought in to take over from the management and sort out the finances – the process known as administration.
If a business cannot be saved, the company’s belongings may be sold so that some of the borrowed money can be repaid, which is known as liquidation.
The hospitality industry has raised concerns over higher costs facing firms, including business rates and minimum wages, arguing it could lead to jobs losses and businesses folding.
Mr Wright said Sixes had “built a strong brand in the social entertainment space with its unique venues proving very popular with customers”.
“While some locations have struggled in an increasingly competitive market, the business has significant potential, and we’re encouraged by the early interest we’ve received from parties interested in acquiring the brand and its strongest-performing sites,” he added.
“We’re confident that with the right investment and focus, Sixes can build on its core strengths.”
Pentatonix sings “Christmas Time Is Here”
India-US trade: Exports rebound in November; supply-chain shifts and holiday restocking drive recovery, says GTRI – The Times of India
WATCH: Pakistan’s winning moment as Green Shirts clinch U19 Asia Cup title
Hitting The ‘High Notes’ In Ties: Nepal Set To Lift Ban On Indian Bills Above ₹100
Studying Abroad Is Costly, But Not Impossible: Experts On Smarter Financial Planning
KSE-100 index gains 876 points amid cut in policy rate | The Express Tribune
-
Business1 week ago
Hitting The ‘High Notes’ In Ties: Nepal Set To Lift Ban On Indian Bills Above ₹100
-
Business6 days ago
KSE-100 index gains 876 points amid cut in policy rate | The Express Tribune
-
Business6 days ago
Studying Abroad Is Costly, But Not Impossible: Experts On Smarter Financial Planning
-
Sports6 days agoJets defensive lineman rips NFL officials after ejection vs Jaguars
-
Tech1 week agoFor the First Time, AI Analyzes Language as Well as a Human Expert
-
Business1 week agoIPO Explained: Meaning, Process, Benefits, Risks
-
Business3 days agoBP names new boss as current CEO leaves after less than two years
-
Entertainment6 days agoPrince Harry, Meghan Markle’s 2025 Christmas card: A shift in strategy