It also doubles the allocation to the Red Cross to alleviate the energy poverty of vulnerable families that are left out of the system.
The Basque Government will reinforce in 2022 the tools to face the so-called energy poverty. It will do so through the Social Emergency Aid (AES), thanks to a adaptation of amounts to new prices, and also through Red Cross. Precisely, the Basque Government signed an agreement with this entity in 2015 to facilitate the payment of electricity, water and gas bills to families experiencing serious financial difficulties and who are not beneficiaries of Social Emergency Aid or Guarantee Income of Income (RGI).
In 2022, the Department of Equality, Justice and Social Policies will allocate 41.5 million euros to the AES and 800,000 euros more to finance the agreement with the Red Cross. Given the increase in prices of the electricity, the gas and other fuels for domestic use, the allocation to the Red Cross has doubled this year and in the Social Emergency Aid, the maximum annual amounts to be received by each family have been modified, from 900 to 1,500 euros per year.
“The price increase may cause more families to be unable to pay their bills, especially these cold months and fewer hours of natural light,” said Lide Amilibia, Deputy Minister of Social Policies. “With these measures we intend to support the most vulnerable families and people, preventing them from suffering power cuts,” he continues.
In 2020, 63,176 people benefited from AES and 16,180 requests were received and attended to to meet energy costs: 10,821 in Bizkaia; 3815 in Gipuzkoa and 1544 in Álava.
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