Cost of Living Support
Information and advice, to assist with the cost of living can be found below.
Topics include Energy Bill Support (Pre-Payment Metre Voucher Scheme), Benefits Rates, Disabled Facilities Grant, Concessionary Transport, NHS Prescriptions/Health Costs and Broadband.
Alone at Christmas?
Upminster Windmill Hall invites residents who would be alone at Christmas aged 65 and over to join them for a heartwarming Christmas celebration. Click here to find out more.
Pension Credit
Claim Pension Credit by 20th December 2024, to get the Winter Fuel Allowance element, for this winter. Click here to find out more.
Energy Bill Support Pre-Payment Metre Voucher Scheme
If your Household is using traditional pre-payment meters to pay for energy the government are urging customers to redeem their Energy Bill Support Scheme (EBSS) vouchers before the deadline on Friday 30 June. The EBSS vouchers allow eligible pre-payment meter customers, often in low-income homes, to access the EBSS discount of up to £400 on their energy costs, which other customers received automatically over the winter.
What Pre-payment meter users need to do?
If you are a Traditional pre-payment meter user then you can approach your local Post Office or PayPoint, taking along your EBSS voucher, energy pre-payment key or card and the ID specified in the voucher letter and the voucher can then be redeemed for you at the counter.
Please check your post, emails and texts to ensure that you haven’t missed any vouchers. Vouchers are valid for 3 months, so if you have an expired voucher, you need to contact your electricity supplier as soon as possible and ask for a new one to be sent out to you.
For more information, please click on the link below. You can also find out more in the official poster.
Havering Energy Doctors
The Havering Energy Doctors is a council funded service delivered in partnership with Age UK East London and Age UK Redbridge, Barking & Havering which is available to all Havering Residents age 18 and over free of charge. It aims to support people who may be struggling with rising energy bills or living in homes that are difficult to keep warm. One of the energy experts from Age UK East London will visit the home to assess its energy efficiency and provide advice on how to use energy more effectively. The service is NOT MEANS TESTED and is available to all residents regardless of their age. This means that all clients living in Havering would benefit from a referral to the Energy Doctors Service.
In addition to giving advice, the Energy Doctors can complete small tasks during their visit to improve home energy efficiency. This could include draft proofing doors and windows, installing radiator foils and energy efficient light bulbs, and making other simple adjustments to help your home retain heat more efficiently.
To access the service, please use the referral form. Alternatively you can use the QR Code below. Once you’ve been referred, an appointment will be scheduled for an Energy Doctor to visit your home.
Scan for referral form
Email: energydoctor@ageukrbh.org.uk
Tel: 07943 877099
Referral Form: Click here to open.
Cold Weather Payments
A Cold Weather Payment is £25 a week for each 7-day period – or forecasted 7-day period – of cold weather. This only applies between 1 November and 31 March each year. To be eligible for Cold Weather Payments the average temperature in your area needs to have been, or be forecasted to be, 0˚C or less for 7 days in a row. Visit our website for more. Click here to find out more.
Benefits Rates
Every year, many benefits rates change. This link gives details of the changes this year. Please click on the link below for more information.
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/benefits-entitlements/benefit-rates/
Disabled Facilities Grant
Disabled Facilities Grant is available to adapt your home. You may be eligible for financial support from your council to make small adaptations to your home.
You could get a grant from your council if you’re disabled and need to make changes to your home. For example if you:
· are physically disabled
· have a learning disability
· have age-related needs
· are autistic
· have a cognitive impairment, like dementia
· have a progressive condition, like motor neurone disease
· have a terminal illness
· have a mental health condition
You might need to:
· widen doors and install ramps or grab rails
· improve access to rooms and facilities, for example with a stairlift, or level access shower
· improve access to your garden
· build an extension, for example a downstairs bedroom
· provide a heating system suitable for your needs
· adapt heating or lighting controls to make them easier to use
To get a grant, you or someone else living in the house must:
· be disabled
· intend to live in the property during the grant period (usually 5 years but this can be shorter, for example, if the person is terminally ill)
The person who submits the application must be either the:
· owner
· tenant
· landlord
The council needs to be happy that the work is:
· necessary and appropriate to meet the disabled person’s needs
· reasonable and can be done, depending on the age and condition of the property
The work should be completed within 12 months of the grant being approved.
Finances
The Disabled Facilities Grant is a means-tested grant for people aged 18 years or over, so the amount you could get depends on your household income and savings.
A means test looks at your income and savings, together with those of your spouse or partner, if you have one. The first £6,000 of household savings are exempted from the means test.
Each local authority has its own policy for the means test, so you would need to contact your local council.
Please click on the link for the borough that you live in for more information.
London Borough of Havering:
https://familyserviceshub.havering.gov.uk/kb5/havering/directory/service.page?id=oT0DWoMNVpo
London Borough of Redbridge:
https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/housing/private-rentals/home-improvement-grants/
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham:
Concessionary Transport
If you're 60 or over or you have a disability, you might be eligible for concessions/discounts for public transport. This can include discounts on your rail journeys, free bus pass, taxi card. Please click on the link below for more information
NHS Prescriptions/Health Costs
If you are aged over 60 you get free prescriptions. If you are under 60 you can save money on prescriptions by buying prescription prepayment certificates from the NHS for 3 or 12 months. If you are in receipt of certain qualifying benefits then you may qualify for free prescriptions.
If you don’t receive any qualifying benefits but have a low income, you may still be eligible for some help with health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. For more information please click on the link below.
NHS Low Income Scheme
Social Tariffs – Broadband
Social tariffs are discounted mobile and broadband deals for people in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and other qualifying benefits. They are also referred to as ‘essential’ or ‘basic’ tariffs by some providers. They are delivered in the same way as normal packages but at a lower rate.
A large number of broadband providers now offer discounted social tariff products, with some offering deals which could save you around 50% compared to other tariffs.
For more information please click on the link below.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/low-cost-broadband-and-mobile-phone-tariffs
If you are not in receipt of any of the qualifying benefits and would like a Benefit Check to check entitlement then you can speak to a member of our Advice & Information Team. We can support you with benefits checks and benefits form filling.
Alternatively you can use the benefit check calculator below to check if you qualify for any benefits.
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/benefits-entitlements/benefits-calculator/