Department of Work and Pensions
DWP administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers.
The government has announced when further Cost of Living Payments will be made between spring 2023 and spring 2024. These payments are:
Millions of the lowest-income households across the UK will get up to £1,350 from the Government in 2023/4 to help with the cost of living.
(For more information on the following payments) https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment#cost-of-living-payments-2023-to-2024
£301
First cost of Living payment for eight million eligible means tested benefits claiments
During Spring 2023
£150
Disability payment
During Spring 2023
£300
Second Cost of Living Payment for eight million eligible means tested benefits claiments
During Spring 2023
£300
Pensioner Payment
During Winter 2023/4
£299
Third Cost of Living Payment for eight million eligible means tested benefits claiments
During Spring 2024
Universal Benefits
Universal Credit is a payment to help with your living costs. It’s paid monthly. You may be able to get it if you’re on a low income, out of work or you cannot work.
https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/
Housing Benefit
Eligibility Housing Benefit can help you pay your rent if you’re unemployed, on a low income or claiming benefits. It’s being replaced by Universal Credit.
Somerset Household Support Fund
Supermarket food vouchers, Energy Top Up Vouchers (for use with pre-payment meters)
CAB Advice (Citizens Advice Bureau)
Advice on cost of living, help to sort out bills
Debt advice from energy Companies
Please check your own supplier if not listed here.
Financial advice on debt
StepChange Debt Charity
Call free on 0800 138 1111
www.stepchange.org
National Debtline
Call free on 0808 808 4000
www.nationaldebtline.com
How to save money on heating
mythbuster- challenging misconceptions
Struggling to pay
Octopus advice if you are struggling
Campaign group
Works across England to eradicate fuel poverty and raise awareness
Warm blankets and electric blankets,
Free electric blankets for octopus customers
smart meters
contact your energy supplier
Switch to all LED lighting
Save 75% with LED lights, and they last 25% longer
£1 Billion Great British Insulation Scheme
£1 billion Great British Insulation Scheme to help some families insulate their homes lower council tax bands with less energy-efficient homes will be offered upgrades such as roof, loft or cavity wall insulation.
Customers can use an online checker for the Great British Insulation Scheme to determine eligibility. The tool will ask a series of questions – including how they heat their home, whether their home has solid or cavity walls, and if they are receiving any benefits.
A separate online checker has also been launched for the Home Upgrade Grant, to help off-the-gas-grid homes with an energy performance certificate rating of D to G. The grant provides energy efficiency upgrades and low-carbon heating to households in England. Customers using the online tools will then be referred to either their energy supplier for support from the Energy Company Obligation programme and Great British Insulation Scheme or their council for the Home Upgrade Grant.
Sign post sources of help / advice
Help Centre | Energy Support & FAQs | EDF (edfenergy.com) https://www.edfenergy.com/for-home/help-with-energy-bills . Centrica, help offered
Water bills and reducing waste. Struggling to pay
Bristol Water. NB we are still in a drought period
Sign post sources of help / advice
WESSEX Water advice. NB We are still in a drought period
Ideas for water saving
Saving water
Enable ride sharing
Ask your employer if they have a scheme or set one up
Community bus
An accessible bus service funded by Somerset County Council for people unable to access conventional transport
Bicycles
Start riding a bike if you can, or sell your old one
Food banks
Hope Baptist, Church Street, Highbridge. Foodbank covers
Burnham, Highbridge and immediate surrounding areas.
Open 9.30- 12noon.
Contact 07570 707400 for more information. referral needed Tues and Saturday at Burnham Methodist College Street, 10am-12noon
Food Pantry Morland Hub Highbridge
The Food Pantry at the Morland Hub costs £3.50 per week for members
Burnham and Highbridge Hunger Relief Foodbank,
MONDAY MORNINGS Bay club No referral needed
The Waffle Club Community Cafe
Burnham on sea Methodist church
Friday Lunch Club Morland hall
11am-1.15pm. £5 per adult,
£3 per child for a 3 course meal, consisting of home made soup and bread, main course dish of the day, and a choice of 2 desserts.
Booking 1 week in advance, tel Mandy Porter on 0791 8051689
Kitchen energy and money saving tips (BBC)
there are lots of energy saving links here from the BBC
BBC
Slow cooker meals, try batch cooking if you can
https://www.bbc.co.uk/budget_slow_cooker_recipes
Clothing Costs
Recycling uniform
Schools PTA
University of the third age.
Coffee morning at Burnham-on-Sea Thurs 9.45am, Burnham Community centre
Highbridge10am-12 Wed 10am-12. Lots of activities throughout the week.
Share meals
eg – invite neighbors for lunch; Might also be energy efficient
Check on vulnerable neighbours
lend a fleecy blanket, make sure they have a hot meal, pop in for a cuppa
NHS Somerset
Advice to keep well through the winter
Solar panels and solar streets
A long term project. The more houses in your street that get solar panels from the same company can get discounted prices
Community Food project, sharing gardens
Some offer garden space/ others offer labour in return for agreed percentage of crop
Community allotments
Can we get more. These are hard to come by, but maybe you know someone who could help.
Edible Streets
Edible Street. Streets come together to plant crops in pots, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, herbs etc and leave out front for neighbors
0% loan to help people living in off-gas properties spread the cost of heating their home
The current energy crisis is having an effect on everyone, coupled with the rising cost of living. Living without mains gas can be expensive. For those who are buying home heating fuel in bulk, a council-funded loan may be an alternative solution to spread the cost.
Sedgemoor District Council work in partnership with Lendology CIC, a Social Enterprise lender, to provide council funded 0% Bulk Buy Fuel loans to homeowners, social tenants, and private tenants to spread the cost over the winter months. Passionate about tackling fuel poverty, they provide finance to a wide range of people, including those who may not be able to use mainstream finance providers.
The loan can be used to purchase oil, gas, wood or other bulk-buy fuel sources and is repayable over six to twelve months. Lendology encourage residents to save alongside the loan where possible to create resilience in paying for the next bulk purchase and to use local bulk-buy schemes to save money.
Background information
With approximately one in six houses are off-gas across the UK, bulk buying home-heating fuel is a challenge that is faced by so many households. Renewable Energy Loans are available to support homeowners to de-carbonise their homes by moving to more sustainable heating solutions. However, this may not be a feasible option for everyone, and so bulk buying fuel is a requirement. Finding the funding upfront can be challenging, especially for people who have only just moved into an off-gas home and have been unable to prepare for the cost of this purchase.
For more information, visit www.lendology.org.uk or call Lendology on 01823 461099.
With the current cost of living crisis and the recommendation of electric blankets and certain electric heaters, along with a recent electric blanket fire in Bridgwater, it would be good to promote safe use of these appliances as well as DS Fire and Rescue free home checks.
Home checks:
https://www.dsfire.gov.uk/safety/home/home-safety-visits
Electric/gas heaters:
https://www.dsfire.gov.uk/safety/home/heaters
Electric blankets: