Dr. Tricia Keilthy:

I might take the questions on lump sums and the housing aid grant and then will pass over to my colleague Ms Petrie who will talk a little bit about the challenges for rental accommodation.

On the housing aid grant there is definitely merit to looking at expanding it to those under the age of 66. From our point of view it is important to consider how it works with existing schemes and what it means for the person's journey who is trying to access those grants as well. It is definitely worth consideration.

On the lump sums the payments certainly do help. At the moment the levels of debt, particularly on gas, are very high. Receiving a payment in a lump sum does help people clear more of their debt in one go obviously. It also works very well for people who are using oil. The shift of the fuel allowance from a weekly payment to the option of having the lump sum was a really good move. We are balancing that between the once-off nature of these payments and the fact that the fuel allowance rate has effectively been frozen for a number of years. Our concern really at this point is that we need to be looking towards future proofing the fuel allowance.

Is it adequate? Does it meet the minimum energy needs of households? How can we adapt to that, both in people's ability to pay for their bills but also in the context of climate proofing and a just transition for those on low incomes who may feel the effects of things like the carbon taxes and public service levies also? The choice is very important. Having the choice as to whether it is paid in a lump sum or on a weekly basis is very important because a prepaid customer probably prefers a weekly payment where a lump sum may be suitable for other bill types and heating sources.

For us, not only does the rate need to be looked at but also the season in which it is paid out. There is a strong rationale to extend that out by four weeks to also reflect better the heating season for households. I will pass now to Ms Petrie, please.