Financial support, advice and guidance

A full scale move to Universal Credit has begun with Tax Credit claimants being contacted by letter notifying them of the migration.

Anyone who has received a migration letter are being urged to make their Universal Credit claim.

Further information to help understand Universal Credit is available on the GOV.UK website – Understanding Universal Credit as well as guidance on how to make a claim – Help to Claim.

The government has announced £100m of additional funding to support the most vulnerable households in England with their Council Tax bill.

This funding will allow us to deliver additional support to households who are already receiving Council Tax Support (CTS) on 1 April 2023, a payment of up to £25 per household will be automatically deducted from 2023/24 Council Tax bills. This will be shown on your bill as additional Council Tax Support – mandatory.

You do not need to apply for this additional level of support.

There is also a discretionary fund which is accessible to financially vulnerable households through an application process. Further information is available on the Council Tax Financial Support and Advice page.

The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) is providing support of £400 for energy bills for households in England, Scotland, and Wales without a direct relationship to a domestic electricity supplier. This support is provided by His Majesty’s Government and is delivered by local authorities. The scheme is now open to all eligible households across Great Britain until 31 May 2023.

Eligibility

Subject to applications meeting the eligibility criteria, people who will be able to receive support under EBSS AF include:

• care home residents and others in care facilities/sheltered accommodation (wholly or partly self-funded)
• park home residents, houseboats and caravans that can provide proof of address
• social and private tenants who pay for energy through a landlord on a commercial supply
• homes on a heat network/private wire
• off-grid homes
• farmhouses used for wholly domestic purposes.

How to apply

If you are eligible for EBSS AF, you will need to fill out a short online form via the GOV.UK website.  Applications are made directly to His Majesty’s Government, not to or via Local Authorities. If you do not have online access, you can apply via a contact centre on 08081753287 where a representative will guide you through the application process.

Once you have applied, your application will be processed and verified. After this if your application is successful, your details will be shared with local authorities, who will deliver the one-off, non-repayable support. The payment will be made directly into your bank account in a single instalment.
Further information can be found on GOV.UK.

We know people are worried so the government is offering help for households. See what cost of living support you could be eligible for on the Government’s Help for household page.

Millions of households across the UK will benefit from a new £15 billion package of targeted government support to help with the rising cost of living

Energy Bills Support Scheme doubled to a one-off £400:

• Households will get £400 of support with their energy bills through an expansion of the Energy Bills Support Scheme.
• As well as doubling the £200 of support announced earlier this year, the full £400 payment will now be made as a grant, which will not have to be paid back.
• Energy suppliers will deliver this support to households with a domestic electricity meter over six months from October. Direct debit and credit customers will have the money credited to their account, while customers with pre-payment meters will have the money applied to their meter or paid via a voucher.
• This support is in addition to the £150 Council Tax rebate for households in England in Council Tax bands A-D, which was announced in February, and which millions of households have already received.

£650 one-off Cost of Living Payment for those on means tested benefits:

• More than eight million households on means tested benefits will receive a payment of £650 this year, made in two instalments. This includes all households receiving the following benefits:
  • Universal Credit
  • Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Income Support
  • Working Tax Credit
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Pension Credit
• DWP will make the payment in two lump sums – the first from July, the second in the autumn. Payments from HMRC for those on tax credits only will follow shortly after each to avoid duplicate payments.
• Claimants will need to be in receipt of one of these benefits, or have begun a claim which is later successful, as of 25 May 2022 to be eligible for the first of the two instalments. HMRC and DWP will provide further guidance, and the government will set out the eligibility date for the second instalment, in due course.
• This payment will be tax-free, will not count towards the benefit cap, and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards.
• The government will make these payments directly to households across the UK.

One-off £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment

• Pensioner households will receive an extra £300 this year to help them cover the rising cost of energy this winter.
• This additional one-off payment will go to the over eight million pensioner households across the UK who receive the Winter Fuel Payment and will be paid on top of any other one-off support a pensioner household is entitled to, for example where they are on pension credit or receive disability benefits. Eligible households currently receive between £200 – £300, so the payment will represent at least double the support for this winter.
• The Winter Fuel Payment (including the extra Pensioner Cost of Living Payment) is not taxable and does not affect eligibility for other benefits.
• All pensioner households will get the one-off Pensioner Cost of Living Payment as a top-up to their annual Winter Fuel Payment in November/December. For most pensioner households, this will be paid by direct debit.
• People will be eligible for this payment if they are over State Pension age (aged 66 or above) between 19 – 25 September 2022. There are certain circumstances where an individual above State Pension age does not qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment which can be found here on gov.uk
• The government will make these payments directly to households across the UK.

£150 Disability Cost of Living Payment

• Around six million people across the UK who receive the following disability benefits will receive a one-off payment of £150 in September:
  • Disability Living Allowance
  • Personal Independence Payment
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Scottish Disability Benefits
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment
  • Constant Attendance Allowance
  • War Pension Mobility Supplement
• We know people with disabilities may face a wide range of additional costs, such as specialist equipment, specialist food, and increased transport costs, and this payment will help with these costs as they are likely to have increased. Claimants must be in receipt of, or have begun an eventually successful claim for, one of these benefits as of 25th May 2022 to be eligible for this additional payment.
• For the many disability benefit recipients who receive means tested benefits, this £150 will come on top of the £650 they will receive separately.
• These payments will be exempt from tax, will not count towards the benefit cap, and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards.
• The government will make these payments directly to eligible people across the UK.

Further detailed information is available on the Government website.

If you are struggling to pay your Council Tax, contact us as soon as possible;

• Help with council tax payments
• Council Tax Support
• Frequently asked questions and answers about unpaid Council Tax

Contact us if you want to apply for housing benefit, or need additional assistance with rent payments if your household is suffering from severe financial hardship:

• Apply for housing benefit
• Discretionary housing payment

Do you need help to upgrade the energy efficiency of your home? Help is available for families on low incomes. Visit the Housing standards, improvements, grants and loans page for more information and how to apply for a grant.

Our housing service is dedicated to improving the standard of accommodation in North Lincolnshire by making homes decent, safe and comfortable to live in. We can also offer advice and guidance if you are having problems paying your mortgage or are at risk of losing your home.

• Housing Service
• Homeless Services

We offer assistance to vulnerable homeowners to carry out essential repairs/improvements to their homes such as severe damp and mould, faulty electrics, structural collapse or issues around food safety.

In addition to the above assistance, limited help is available to vulnerable low income households who are without adequate heating (have some living areas that are not heated) or have an old inefficient boiler or require additional insulation measures (subject to survey and eligibility criteria).

Private rented tenants may qualify for limited funding towards heating and insulation measures only.

Further information and how to apply is available on the housing standards, improvements, grants and loans page.

If you currently have NO HEATING and NO HOT WATER please ring the contact centre on 01724 297000.

There are a number of independent organisations who can provide support, advice and guidance across a wide range of money matters including help with debt, paying bills and budgeting.

If you need help and advice about your money worries, or providing enough food for you and your children there are people who can help:

• Citizens Advice North Lincolnshire
• Trussell Trust
• Crosby Community Association
• Money Advice Service – Money Advice Service – online budget planner
• Step Change
• PayPlan

Turn 2 us

Turn2us is a national charity helping people through tough times. They partner with many charities to offer financial assistance mainly through grants. There is a very good grant search tool which anyone can use: you can search by different criteria such as geographic location, past occupation or health condition. You don’t always need to be in receipt of benefits to qualify.

Glasspool Charity

Essential Living Fund- open to anyone legally resident in UK.

We provide timely, small, one-off grants to individuals, couples and families for everyday items to help them cope when things get tough, equip them to manage better day-to-day and enable them to build a stronger future.

We invite applications from support agencies on behalf of the people they support, as we believe that by working with others we can provide greater support. Visit the Glasspool website for more details.

Family Fund

We are the UK’s largest grant-making charity for families raising a disabled or seriously ill child, on a low income.

Family Fund believes that families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people should have the same choices, quality of life, opportunities and aspirations as wider families. We try to make this happen every day by:

• Giving grants to families on a low income for items they may not otherwise be able to afford. For example family breaks, digital equipment, white goods, clothing, bedding, furniture and play equipment.
• Offering services to help parents and carers to achieve the outcomes they want for their child and family. This includes where to go for support with money, benefits and budget planning, information on mental health and wellbeing. And practical workshops to help people get online and use digital tools.
• Providing ways for families to share their experiences, so they can influence lasting change on issues that matter to them.

Visit the Family Fund website for more details.

Entitledto

Our mission is to help everyone to access the benefits they’re entitled to. We want to make sure everyone who is entitled to benefits is empowered to claim them.

The UK’s benefits system is very complicated. And we know it can feel overwhelming for people using it for the first time or needing to understand the implications of a change of circumstances. So, our task is to simplify the system so people can quickly find out what financial support they may be entitled to. Visit the Entitledto website for further details.

If you need information about paying for adult social care, personal budgets, the financial assessment, benefits you may be entitled to, how to get independent financial advice and acting as a power of attorney, visit our Get help paying for care page.

There are several different schemes available to help parents and carers pay their childcare costs, depending on their individual family circumstances. The links provide more details on the schemes available:

• Help with childcare costs
• Childcare Choices

If you’re over 16 in need of support to improve your prospects of finding training opportunities, work, are currently unemployed or looking to progress your career there is help available:

• Action Station
• Local Jobs & Support
• North Lincolnshire Council jobs
• North Lincolnshire Adult Education and Community Learning
• Government ‘JobHelp’ website

Feeling low can make managing money tough and worrying about it can make you feel even worse. By dealing with your debt it will help you to feel less stressed and anxious and more in control.
There are organisations you can talk to in confidence if you feel your situation affecting your mental health:

• Samaritans
• NHS Talking Therapies
• MIND
• Community wellbeing hubs
• Young People’s Mental Health Support

There are a number of community places in North Lincolnshire where you can access food and/or clothes.

Foodbanks

Trussell Trust foodbanks – Scunthorpe Foodbank | Helping Local People in Crisis

• Connect Church, Scunthorpe
• St George’s Church, Crosby One
• Epworth Baptist Church,Epworth
• Barton Salvation Army (partner)
• Ashby Salvation Army (partner)

Visit a referral agency to pick up a voucher:-

• 0-19 Health & Wellbeing Service (Health Visitors) 0800 0199951
• Anvil House 0115 8504159
• Blue Door (Domestic Violence) 0800 1974787
• Carers Support Centre 01652 650585
• Citizens Advice Bureau 01724 878010
• Community Mental Health Services 01724 272628
• Crosby Community Association 01724 330022
• CrosbyONE Centre 01724 277757
• MIND 01724 279500
• ONGO Housing 01724 279900
• ONGO Communities 01724 844848
• The Forge Project 01724 276742
• Voluntary Action North Lincs 01724 845155
• We Are With You 01724 857633
• Westcliff Community Works 01724 298818

Vouchers can be exchanged for three days’ worth of food.

• Brigg Foodbank – enquiries must go through a trusted provider. Please see Brigg Foodbank facebook page for further details.
• Kirton Lindsay Food Aid – Kirton in Lindsey has a Food Aid scheme (foodbank) for people living in the village which runs out of the Town Hall Kirton in Lindsey. Apply through the site or text 07814 093903

Pantries

Pantries often have fresh food (fruit and vegetables) as well as frozen food.

• Crosby One – Crosby Fresh Food Project Pay £2 for a basket  Crosby One Centre | Scunthorpe | Facebook
• Crosby Collective at Oasis Hub Henderson Avenue –  Oasis Hub Henderson Avenue | Facebook
• Waste not, Want not at Ashby Community Centre – A Pick and Mix Community shop, 15 points for £5 -6pm Tuesdays. All profits go into the project. Waste not want not – Ashby | Scunthorpe | Facebook

Community Fridges

Community Fridges are literally fridges set up in the local community to support residents to access refrigerated food.

• Crosby Community Association – The Crosby Community Association | Telephone – 01724 330022
• Isle of Axholme Foodshare – Community Pantry and fridge runs at Haxey Youth Hub Isle of Axholme Foodshare Project – Haxey & Owston Ferry Churches

Clothing Banks

Clothing banks are a newer feature in our communities. They can be found at:-

• Family Bank – Providing baby clothing and essentials, children’s clothing and uniforms to families in Scunthorpe. Family Bank | Scunthorpe | Facebook
• Community Clothing Bank – A wide range of children’s and adult’s clothes. Isle of Axholme Foodshare Project | Facebook
• Kirton Community Shop – Community Shop runs from Kirton Town Hall, £5 for 16 items – Kirton in Lindsey Community Shop | Facebook

Grocery Aid

GroceryAid supports people who work or have worked in the grocery industry. This includes anyone who works for a supermarket, wholesaler, manufacturer, convenience store, independent grocer, petrol forecourt store or service provider to the grocery trade.

They offer grants to alleviate financial hardship and grants for white goods/household items. To be eligible they would need to have six months continuous current service or five years if previously worked in Grocery and they will need to also meet an income criteria. They also offer emotional support/counselling and benefits and financial advice.

Helpline 08088 021 122  Website: Groceryaid.org.uk