The delay in delivering energy support payments to people in Northern Ireland has been placed into even sharper focus by the current cold snap which has seen temperatures plummet.
The early hours of Monday saw the coldest temperature of the year so far, with Katesbridge, Co Down recording -9C.
While the temperatures may not have been just as low in other places, it was sub-zero for many of us over the weekend with the prospect of bitterly cold conditions for much of this week.
It is an unwelcome development for those struggling to heat their homes who will have been hoping for milder temperatures to help ease some of the pressure on bills.
Families and householders, including the elderly and vulnerable, who are already facing a bleak festive period will be even more anxious about how they will keep warm in the days ahead.
If ever there was a time when people need financial assistance to deal with crippling energy prices, it is now.
Unfortunately, the energy support payments which have long been promised have yet to materialise and it is not entirely clear when they will be provided.
Households in Northern Ireland are due to be credited with £400 this winter as part of a UK-wide scheme. An additional £200 was announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt as part of his autumn statement, aimed at addressing the widespread dependence on home heating oil.
While consumers in Britain have already begun to receive their energy support payments, people here are still waiting.
Last week, secretary of state Chris Heaton-Harris said getting money to households here is ‘very, very complicated.’
He also said the process would have been made easier if an assembly and executive was in place.
While the government is clearly trying to put pressure on the DUP to restore the power-sharing executive, the wider public is also entitled to ask if the party is fulfilling its responsibilities at a time of financial pain for so many people.
Whoever is to blame, it is plainly unacceptable that money that could help households during freezing weather has not been distributed, nor is there any clarity as to when it will be delivered.
There will be a real fear that the current cold spell will have a hugely detrimental impact on families and individuals struggling to pay their bills. They should be encouraged to contact their energy supplier for assistance.
But what people need to see is this money being delivered as a matter of urgency.
