A government payment to home heating oil customers in the North of Ireland is to be doubled from £100 to £200, British Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said.
The measure was announced in Mr Hunt’s Autumn Statement.
When the £100 was originally announced in September it was criticised by politicians in the North of Ireland for not being generous enough.
The SDLP proposed giving a £1,000 payment to households here who use oil to heat their homes.
Oil is the main fuel used by around 65 per cent of households in the North.
Pensions, benefits and tax credits will rise by 10.1 per cent from next April.
The chancellor also told the House of Commons that the North of Ireland will receive an additional £650 million for public services.
However, that is likely to be spread over a number of years.
Stormont is currently facing a £650 million overspend in this year’s budget.
It is not yet clear how the chancellor’s statement will affect that overspend.
British Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris is expected to make a statement on Stormont’s budget next week.
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