The Emergency Fuel Payment scheme has officially launched but it has been accused of not doing enough to help people suffering from financial hardship.
The scheme will provide those who need it with the opportunity to apply for £100 towards their energy bills.
It opened on 6 January and runs until 31 March, offering support to 20,000 households in Northern Ireland.
It comes as Northern Ireland householders are facing a huge price hike in their household energy bills this winter.
Consumers have been warned that gas and electricity bills may continue to increase until summer 2022 due to the increases in wholesale costs for energy globally.
The Department for Communities, in collaboration with Bryson Charitable Group, the Consumer Council and a range of local energy companies, have contributed £2million to create the scheme.
While an extra £100 towards bills this winter will be welcomed by thousands who are currently living in financial fear, some politicians have said the scheme does not go far enough.
Ulster Unionist communities spokesperson, Andy Allen is among those who has raised concerns that it falls short of what’s needed.
Mr Allen said: “Following the announcement of the allocation of £2M for an Emergency Fuel Payment Scheme, I repeatedly sought to obtain detail on the scheme in advance of its launch but to no avail.
“Upon studying the available information following its launch, it appears the scheme has been cobbled together and falls short of what is needed.
“What information did the Department use to determine the gross annual household income threshold of the scheme?
“Why has the daily number of applications been restricted? If someone needs support they require it promptly, therefore setting a daily limit is unacceptable.”
The East Belfast MLA added: “The scheme is also restricted to one payment of up to £100 for either gas, electricity or oil.
"However, it is widely recognised that when a household runs out of heating their electricity will also be running low or vice versa. Furthermore, if a household has no electricity in many cases their heating systems will be unable to function.
“Did the Department consult with or utilise the wider sector experience or expertise when drafting this scheme? From the feedback I’ve received it would appear this was not the case.
“I believe the Minister has been given access to more than £50 million of additional funding to further address the energy crisis.
“I would urge the Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey to consult with those who are working on the frontline, supporting people adversely impacted by recent spiralling energy costs before releasing another programme that again fails those most impacted.
“The Minister should promptly come before the Assembly’s Communities Committee and detail the evidence base for the criteria used in the Emergency Fuel Scheme.”
SDLP communities spokesperson Mark H Durkan believes the scheme will do little to tackle the fuel poverty affecting thousands of families right now.
He said: "Rather than being a day late and dollar short, it’s a month late and millions short and hardly constitutes an effective 'emergency' response.
“We have seen record energy bill hikes for everyone – it’s not just the worst off in society who are struggling, everybody is being squeezed and more and more people are struggling to keep up with the rising costs.
“While support for these 20,000 families is welcome, it’s a drop in the ocean compared to what’s actually needed to deal with this problem.
“We’ve seen temperatures plummet below freezing this week and I’ve no doubt there will be people who were unable to turn on their heating as a result of the crippling fuel poverty many people are experiencing.”
The Foyle MLA urged Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey to come up with a “proper plan” to help people through the winter and address the long-standing issues surrounding fuel poverty.
“£2m simply isn’t going to cut it,” he added.
You can apply for the Emergency Fuel Payment Scheme by following this link.
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