People living in Merseyside may be eligible to apply for cash help from a pot supplied by the Department of Work & Pensions.
Wirral Council has been awarded £3m to "help residents facing severe financial difficulties this summer". Of that award, £650,000 has been earmarked to help people living in the borough with the cost of fuel and debt from fuel and water bills.
People who are unable to pay for the fuel they need to heat their homes, or struggling to deal with fuel and water debt, can apply for help today in a number of different ways via a number of charities partnered with the Council. Here is how you can apply:
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Pre-payment meters
Those with pre-payment meters can request a fuel voucher, for gas and electric, from Citizens Advice Wirral, Involve Northwest or Energy Projects Plus. They can also apply through the Emergency Financial Support Scheme (below).
Direct Debit
Those who pay their bills via direct debit can apply for help towards their fuel and water costs. They will need to go to Citizens Advice Wirral for an assessment and referral before the money will be paid directly to their energy provider.
Debt Help
Those looking for assistance to clear or reduce their debt can also request help from Citizens Advice Wirral or Energy Projects Plus.
Crisis Situations
Those in crisis situations and unable to repair or replace broken or obsolete heating, and who don't qualify for other help schemes, can request help from Energy Projects Plus under the "Crisis Support with Heating" scheme.
Emergency Financial Support Scheme
Of the £3m, another £400,000 has been ear-marked for the Wirral Council's emergency financial support scheme. This is to provide a one-off payment to help people in emergency situations.
The council said that applications "are carefully considered against strict eligibility criteria and evidence of need".
You can apply for help from the emergency financial support scheme here.
The Funding
The remainder of the funding supplied to the Council from the DWP will go to a variety of different projects ran by the Council. These are:
- Small Grants Programme (£600,000)
- Emergency School Food Pantries (£520,000)
- Holiday Activity Fund (HAF) – Food Support (£200,000)
- Wirral Family Cook Off (£200,000)
- Early Years Food and Essential Hampers During School Holidays (£130,000)
- Housing Support Costs (£100,000)
- Crisis Support with White Goods (£54,000)
- Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service: Risk Reduction Items (£20,000)
Director of resources at Wirral Council, Shaer Halewood, said: “Cost of living increases are making it increasingly difficult for people to make ends meet, so this £3 million of extra support is very welcome.
"The new funding will be targeted at the most vulnerable people in our community, with the majority being used to help with essential food and fuel costs.
“We know that many families rely on school meals and will be worried about feeding their children over the summer, so more than £1 million will used to provide food for the summer holiday via nurseries, schools, Birkenhead Sixth Form College and through Holiday Activity Fund play schemes.
“If you or someone you know is in genuine need and struggling, please find out what help is available.”
You can find out more about the support available from Wirral Council at www.wirral.gov.uk/welfaresupport. They also have a helpline (0151 666 5050) for those unable to go online.
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