Scottish Power pledges support for customers, colleagues, communities and recovery

ON Thursday, 28 May 2020, Scottish Power has signed up to the C-19 Business Pledge, highlighting its commitment and efforts to help customers, colleagues and communities through the COVID-19 crisis and into the recovery phase. The Pledge; founded by former UK Cabinet Minister, Rt Hon. Justine Greening and UK entrepreneur David Harrison; encourages employers to pledge to help employees, customers and communities across Britain get through the crisis. Crucially, businesses are asked to focus on how they will tackle the challenges of recovery as well as the challenges of keeping going through Coronavirus.

Scottish Power Chief Executive, Keith Anderson, signed the company's networks, retail and renewables businesses up to the Pledge, saying he is proud to highlight the company's support for its people, customers and communities. He added:= "Since Coronavirus became part of our daily lives, we've been working hard at Scottish Power to ensure our efforts provide the right support; not just to see us all through the crisis, but to help get the country back on its feet as well. More than ever, we know the difference our help makes and the C-19 Business Pledge is a great platform to showcase all we are doing across all our businesses for our customers, our colleagues and our communities. Our message is clear; we are here for you; whether that's supporting you to work in a different way, keeping the energy flowing to your homes and businesses, generating the clean energy we all want, helping you manage your finances during these difficult times, or supporting the most vulnerable in our communities. By continuing to work together, we can achieve a better future, quicker which will make a real difference and benefit all of us in the longer term."

Scottish Power's efforts to support customers, colleagues and communities through the COVID-19 pandemic have included:-

Customers...

► SP Energy Networks working round the clock to keep the power flowing to 3.5 million households across the UK, ensuring people can continue to work and stay connected to family and friends as well as going the extra mile to protect power supplies to critical facilities like Hospitals, health and social care facilities and essential shops.

► Our Scottish Power retail business providing residential and small business customers with the flexibility to adjust their direct debit payments to as little as ₤5 per fuel per month or take a payment holiday of up to two months if they are struggling financially.

► Scottish Power retail issuing pre-loaded payment keys/cards with available credit or remotely adding credit to meters for prepayment customers unable to top up their meter due to illness, self isolation, or financial difficulties.

Colleagues...

► Introducing an employee volunteering scheme that allows staff to get involved in local and national initiatives both during and outside normal working hours. This has resulted in employees getting involved in the likes of sewing PPE and scrubs for frontline NHS staff across the country and apprentices volunteering with charities providing vital food delivery services.

► Promoting and supporting positive mental and physical health for employees.

► Keeping employees informed and supporting them to work well at home and ensuring those performing critical roles are supported to work in line with Government guidelines.

Communities...

► Supporting partner organisations; thanks to almost ₤2 million previously awarded from SP Energy Networks' Green Economy Fund. This has helped provide the resources and capabilities for partner organisations to respond, enhance and extend their vital services during the COVID crisis. The monies, invested in new electric vehicles and improved infrastructure, are now helping provide patient transport, free transport and bike hire for key NHS workers, as well as essential food supplies to vulnerable people and rural communities.

► Providing funding of more than ₤50,000 from our networks business for partner organisations who provide additional support services for vulnerable customers on our Priority Services Register. This has helped them deliver key services such as essential food and medicine deliveries.

► Donating PPE from ScottishPower Renewables' offshore wind team to a local NHS Hospital in East Anglia.

Over and above this, ScottishPower advocates the importance of a green recovery being at the heart of the country's economic recovery, providing a driving force that will help us all move closer to net zero. The C-19 Business Pledge has now received the backing of employers representing more than 3,000,000 people, staff and students throughout businesses and Universities. As well as ScottishPower, these include:- BP, Barratt Developments, Everton Football Club, Compass Group, Coca Cola, Persimmon Homes and Severn Trent Water. It has also received the backing of more than 60 Members of Parliament, across all major political parties.

Justine Greening said:- "With the future of many employers hanging in the balance and incredibly tough times unfolding in sectors across the UK, businesses face many incredibly difficult decisions. But those organisations; who are able to; can have a huge role in battling the impact of Coronavirus and make a real difference in these uniquely challenging times. In spite of everything, lots of employers have already shown amazing initiative and commitment to helping people affected by Coronavirus. The C-19 Business Pledge is all about encouraging as many businesses and universities as possible to get involved and then helping them do that faster and better by sharing all the great work that's already been done. The early response from businesses across the UK has been incredible and it is great to see Scottish Power making this commitment too."

For more information on what Scottish Power is doing to support people and businesses during the Coronavirus pandemic, visit:- ScottishPower.Com.

The C-19 Business Pledge is driven by the Social Mobility Pledge - a campaign for businesses to be a force for good by delivering a level playing field on opportunity and boosting social mobility in the UK. The Social Mobility Pledge is a growing coalition of over 500 organisations; 450 businesses employing almost 4 million people across the UK, as well as over 50 UK universities representing over 1 million students. For more on the C-19 Business Pledge visit:- C19BusinessPledge.Org.

CIH calls on Government and landlords to act now to avoid a post COVID spike in evictions

THE  UK Government and many landlords have put in place temporary measures to help tenants keep their homes in the current crisis. Sustaining people's incomes through the furlough scheme and calling a halt to evictions have created a temporary respite.
But what happens when those temporary measures end?

The Chartered Institute of Housing has today published proposals aimed at avoiding a potentially disastrous spike in evictions once the current protections end.

Working with barrister Liz Davies, CIH has developed a detailed set of proposals to avoid a crisis that could leave thousands homeless and cost landlords and local Authorities millions.

CIH director of policy James Prestwich said:- "For the 8 million households who are tenants of private or social landlords, a key part of the hardship and suffering during the crisis has been the struggle to pay their rent and worrying if they will be able to keep their home. If our society and the economy are to recover from the crisis, it is vital that these fears are allayed quickly and thoroughly. We do not start from a good place. Local Authorities' and social landlords' resources for dealing with homelessness were stretched before the epidemic and could be overwhelmed if there is a sudden growth in evictions due to rent arrears."

The hard facts...

►  Of 5.6 million workers at high risk of losing their jobs because of the crisis, more than 1.2 million are private tenants.

►  Around 2.6 million private tenants have already missed a rent payment during the crisis.

►  Around a 3rd of the 'key workers' who have kept services and supplies running earn less than £10 per hour. Many live in households dependent on two incomes to pay the rent, and where partners may have lost their jobs.

The furlough scheme helps to sustain incomes but has a shortfall of 20% if not made good by employers. When the scheme ends people may lose their jobs, have lower earnings than before or have used up their savings. Protection against eviction currently ends in June. Even if it is extended, landlords are still able to start the eviction process if arrears accrue, resulting in a potentially massive number of eviction actions within a short period.

James said:- "The burden cannot simply be put onto landlords. That could lead to defaults on mortgages and enforced sales, which could deplete the sector just when that capacity is most needed. This needs Government action too."

What is CIH's 'post Covid' solution?

►  Extend protection for tenants until evictions can take place safely.

►  Prevent evictions solely arising from COVID-related arrears.
►  End section 21 evictions.

►  Make sure that payment plans for COVID-related arrears do not result in eviction provided the tenant agrees with and complies with the plan over a timescale of up to 2 years.

►  Reform universal credit: end 5 week wait; temporarily suspend suspend the benefit cap and the 2 child limit; increase LHA to 50th percentile of rents for a limited period; end 'shared accommodation rate' for under 35's.

►  Increase emergency fund for discretionary housing payments and ensure they are more widely available to help with rent arrears outside scope of universal credit.

►  Introduce an interest free loan scheme to cover landlords' loss of rental income and give landlords mortgage holidays on rented properties to pass relief on to tenants.

►  Consider 1 off payments to stabilise local Authority and housing association finances where these have been hit by COVID-related arrears.

CIH chief executive Gavin Smart said:- "While the measures put in place by Government and landlords are helping millions of people during this awful time, we have to think about what comes next. Simply ending all these measures without a plan to cope with the arrears built up through the outbreak risks pushing families into homelessness and landlords into bankruptcy, just at a time when a stable housing sector is needed to help rebuild our economy. Our proposals build on the work we have done with homelessness groups including Crisis and Shelter, as well as housing providers. They are practical and proportionate to the threat facing millions of people. We look forward to working with the Government to make them part of our national post COVID recovery plan."