Financial support to help residents cope with the cost of living crisis is being extended until the end of end of March 2025.
The council has been allocated £1,037,906 for the next 6 months and residents are urged to make sure they claim all benefits that they are eligible for.
This Household Support Funding (HSF) from the government will be used in York to provide a variety of financial assistance to help residents meet essential expenses. These include:
- £500,000 – a direct payment will be made before Christmas to working aged people who receive Council Tax Support
- £180,000 – a discretionary application scheme will be available to support any other residents struggling to meet their bills, including pensioners
- £70,000 – support for the council’s food and fuel voucher scheme
- £80,000 – advice and support to maximise residents’ income and promote take-up of unclaimed benefits
- £80,000 – community food and support to run Warm Places this winter
- £60,000 – administration and delivery of 2 Talk Money information and support campaigns
- £10,000 – York Energy Advice funding for offering advice and energy-saving measures for households
- £30,000 – support to identify, contact and support financially-vulnerable residents to claim.
Councillor Katie Lomas, joint Executive Member for Finance, Performance, Major Projects, Human Rights, Equality and Inclusion, said:
Nearly half of the £1,037,906.47 we’ve been allocated through the Household Support Fund (HSF), will be issued as direct payments for working-age residents who are receiving Council Tax support. This translates to a cash payment of around £115 for every qualifying resident and we’re contacting those who are eligible, to make sure they receive this vital support.
“Of the remaining funds, £180,000 will be allocated to a discretionary support scheme, which will be open to applications to anyone struggling with their finances. We’ll also be allocating money from the HSF to continue supporting Warm Places and energy advice services to support people with the effects of rising energy costs this winter, as well as community food support and support to take up unclaimed benefits.”
Councillor Bob Webb, with joint responsibility for financial inclusion, said:
We reckon as many as 1,600 people in York are missing out on Pension Credit. It’s really important that they know about it and claim the extra £100s as well as unlocking other benefits like the Winter Fuel Payment.
“We know that between April and June 2024, an extra 31 residents claimed Pension Credit who are benefiting from a total extra £134,825 to help them through these uncertain financial times.
“We’re writing to over 450 residents who we know are eligible for Pension Credit because they already claim Council Tax Support and Housing Benefit. Information on the 1,150 or so other eligible people is held by the Government’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and can’t be shared for data protection reasons. So, we’ve been reaching out to them through other council services and voluntary sector organisations, to help people check their eligibility and to support them to apply.”
Anyone who needs help to claim Pension Credit can click here, or contact these local support services:
- Age UK York on telephone: 01904 634061
- Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY) on telephone: 01904 676200
- Citizens Advice York on telephone: 0808 278 7895
Anyone who needs help to claim Council Tax Support can call the City of York Council Benefits Advisors on telephone: 01904 552044 or contact these local support services:
- Age UK York on telephone: 01904 634061
- Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY) on telephone: 01904 676200
- Citizens Advice York on telephone: 0808 278 7895
- Peasholme Charity on telephone: 01904 466866
- York Carers Centre on telephone: 01904 715490
Find more information for residents on other benefits.
The next Talk Money campaign to encourage residents to claim all they can, spend less and get good advice, will run from Monday 4 November to Friday 15 November 2024.