The vouchers system for persons with low income who benefit from energy benefits is to be scrapped.

Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi said that beneficiaries will instead receive credits in their bill.

Speaking at a press conference alongside Social Policy Minister Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the minister said this would give dignity to families in need who would no longer have to show that they have a low income and are in receipt of the benefits by queuing to cash their vouchers.

Mr Mizzi said the vouchers system had also been inefficient in that people first had to pay their energy bills and then claim the vouchers. People with very low income had still been unable to pay the bills and thus, every year, some €500,000 worth of vouchers went unclaimed.

26,000 families receive the energy benefit plus some 90 organisations, homes for children and people having extraordinary energy consumption because of medical reasons.