'Help for Households'
The Cabinet Office has recently launched the 'Help for Households' campaign which explains the 41 different government schemes available to help people with the cost of living, including new one-off payments as well as existing benefits and schemes. These schemes have now been brought onto one Cost of Living Support website.
Please follow the links;
https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/cost-living-support
https://costoflivingsupport.campaign.gov.uk
Household Support Fund Financial help is also at hand for households who will benefit from the £2,599,628 third tranche of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Household Support Fund announced last month. Between now and March 2023 financial support will be available: To households with children: A £15 voucher was available for October half term and further support will be provided over the Christmas break to families of children on free school meals.
To up to 4,000 households working but receiving a low wage: Online applications are now open to residents earning £300* or less a week to receive payments totalling £250 into their bank accounts towards winter essentials. The first award of £125 will be credited to the applicant's bank account at the point of approval of the application. The second payment will be credited to the same bank account 60 days later (without the need for a further application). To a further 1,750 families who will receive financial and practical Cost-of-Living help via community engagement, food banks and emergency funding.
New energy saving grant scheme launched
A new Government scheme has been set up to help people make energy-saving improvements to their homes. Across the UK, many households will see the cost of gas and electricity rise by more than 50% from April 2022 as the energy price cap – the limit on what energy suppliers can charge – increases. Sustainable Warmth is a new Government grant scheme designed to fund energy-efficiency upgrades to residents who are most likely to be impacted by the high cost of rising bills. These improvements will help residents to use less energy and spend less on their energy bills. The energy-efficiency grants will cover a range of energy-saving home improvements designed to balance the needs of residents with carbon reduction and grant availability.
Energy and cost-saving upgrades that people may be able to get for their homes include:
- Insulation and ventilation upgrades
- An upgrade to a low carbon heating system (the new heating system cannot include a gas or oil boiler)
- Heating controls
- Solar PV (that generates free electricity)
- Energy efficient lighting.
Information about the scheme has been added to our website, and we will be promoting the scheme across our social media channels. You can support that work by promoting the scheme to residents in your town and parish areas. People can find out more information and check their eligibility by visiting our energy efficient grants webpage