Cost of Living Advice

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.

£301

First cost of Living payment for eight million eligible means tested benefits claiments

£150

Disability payment

£300

Second Cost of Living Payment for eight million eligible means tested benefits claiments

£300

Pensioner Payment

£299

Third Cost of Living Payment for eight million eligible means tested benefits claiments

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.

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

Community Support Foundation Advice

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

Reducing energy use

Octopus energy saving tips

Reducing energy use

EDF energy saving tips

Struggling to pay

Octopus advice if you are struggling

Campaign group

Works across England to eradicate fuel poverty and raise awareness

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

Community Renewable Energy Project

Retrofitting,Advice

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

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

Free school meals – holidays

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

Lots of pre- loved clothes at low prices

Clothing Costs

Recycling uniform

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

Mental Health

Links to many other groups to help with mental wellbeing

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:

https://www.dsfire.gov.uk/safety/home/electric-blankets

Disclaimer: We do not take responsibility for the services or projects suggested on this site.

Records Retention Schedule

Financial Risk Management Policy - March 2023

Grant Application Kings Coronation Form

The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III will take place on Saturday 6th May 2023, with an additional bank holiday on Monday 8th May 2023.

We are keen to hear from groups/organisations in Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge that are looking to celebrate the Coronation. The Town Council has £1500 available to allocate to events being organised to celebrate the Kings Coronation. The maximum grant to be allocated per event will be £500.

You must meet the following criteria for your application to be considered:

– The event will be open to all members of the public

– The event will be free of charge

– The event will take place within the Coronation weekend

– The event will take place within Burnham on Sea or Highbridge

 

Applications will close on Monday 6th March at midday. 

Your organisation and contact details

What happens next....
Applications will be considered at the Finance and Resources Committee Meeting on Monday 13th March 2023. You will be notified after this date whether your application has been successful.
Burnham & Highbridge Town Council takes your privacy seriously and will only use your personal information for the purposes of contacting you about this grant. The Council’s privacy notice can be found here.

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