Cost of Living Support
Concerned about the cost of fuel bills?
Cost of living support payments are being made via the DWP over the coming months. Low income households on qualifying benefits will receive an additional payment of £300 in November and another £299 in the spring of 2024. These payments will significantly help reduce the burden of the price increases. Click here to learn more information.
Additional information and support is available from Electricity North West who are investing £8m over 5 years to provide immediate help for households struggling to pay energy bills or that are in debt. They are working in partnership with Citizens Advice and their dedicated advisers can be contacted through 0808 169 9924 or for those who don’t feel confident to talk WhatsApp 07893 950999. Their teams will also provide money saving tips and advice on grants available to help make your home more energy efficient.
Grants are available from your local council’s Household Support fund. You can apply online or by phoning your council. These grants can help you replace white goods, pay bills relating to energy and water as well as help to buy food. Click here to find out more.
Are you concerned about how you would cope in a power cut?
If so please ensure you are signed up to the Extra Care Register. This is available for households where occupants are either of pensionable age, have a disability or live with children who are under the age of 5.
Once signed up you will be able to set up a unique password so that you can check that any utility company representatives visiting the house are legitimate.
The welfare team will make every effort to contact you if there is a planned or unplanned supply cut. They will also:
- Prioritise your call and put you straight through to a dedicated team member
- Keep you up-to-date with text messages and phone calls using 07786 201716
- Contact you six days before any planned work and send you a reminder the day before to help you prepare
- Send you warnings of bad weather that may cause power cuts.
- Contact you via a nominated friend or family member if you can not be contacted
- Provide additional support such as hot food and drinks, blankets, flask, analogue phones or generators if power cuts last all day
- Receive additional support if you have additional health needs
Click here for more information on how to sign up to the Extra Care Register.
Food banks
Joining a local food club might help your money go further whilst at the same time helping to reduce food wastage. Members pay a small amount each week, around £5, and typically take home a selection of fresh and dried/tinned food worth between £20 and £30. Trussell Trust Food Banks operate on a voucher scheme and provide food for up to three days free of charge.
See the links below for details of food banks and clubs in your area:
Accessing Food | KeepConnected (lancaster.gov.uk)
Burnley Community Grocery | Community Grocery
Cost of Living information packs (by post)
These packs include lots of useful information about:
- Central and local government support packages
- Electricity North West advice
- Saving energy
- Priority services register
- Water costs
They also include a benefit check form, for people who would prefer not to use the online calculator. Completed forms can be sent to us and we will carry out the check for you.
Cost of Living information packs are available on request. Call our team on 0300 303 1234 to get yours or email advice@ageuklancs.org.uk
Are you entitled to benefits?
Our Age UK Lancashire Information & Advice team are able to support you with benefits checks and further information on a range of subjects. Find out more here: Information & Advice Service or contact them on 0300 303 1234 or advice@ageuklancs.org.uk
Blackpool Council, along with partners and volunteers, have pulled together a range of useful information to ensure that you can access the help and support you need. Click here to find advice on a range of topics from food and essentials and community centres activities to help with housing if you are struggling, and contacts to talk to for emotional and practical support (plus much, much more!).
Please note: we are experiencing a high volume of enquiries currently and would suggest accessing our webpage in the first instance.