Pension-aged residents on lower incomes who are not eligible for Pension Credit or the government’s Winter Fuel Payment can apply and, if successful, a household will receive vouchers to the value of £200 which can be redeemed for food, energy, or both, depending on an individual’s most pressing need.
In October this year, KCC’s Leader Roger Gough announced that £1m of the Household Support Fund will be used to support thousands of Kent pensioners this winter, after the government cut the Winter Fuel Payment to around 10 million older people in the UK, with only those eligible for Pension Credit continuing to get support with winter fuel costs.
Roger Gough wants to provide targeted support to older members of the community who are struggling financially, but who just miss out on qualifying to receive pension credit and the fuel allowance.
He said: “We think it is really important to ensure that there is support for those people who are going to be really affected by what’s happened with the Winter Fuel Allowance and who are not eligible for Pension Credit.
“There are an awful lot of older people in Kent who don’t qualify for pension credit, but are just at that level above it. People for whom this winter could mean real hardship. This support is aimed at those who will experience real pressure throughout the winter and may have to make difficult decisions about energy or food. So the focus will very much be ensuring those older people can be in a much better situation than would otherwise have been the case.”
“The focus will very much be ensuring older people can be in a much better situation than would otherwise have been the case.”
The support scheme offers a public and professional referral pathway, allowing Kent residents to apply themselves, or a professional, friend or family member to apply on their behalf and comes under the umbrella of KCC’s Financial Hardship Programme, the impact of which was celebrated at a meeting of KCC’s Cabinet on Thursday 28th November.
Mr Gough said: “The entire programme is delivering meaningful change during a time of immense challenge.”
Developed out of the Helping Hands Scheme, which was launched in 2021 by Mr Gough, the Financial Hardship Programme has meant the distribution of 48,000 food and fuel vouchers to help with household bills, 5,000 laptops being supplied to people without access to technology, 150 children are now in their own beds, rather than sharing with siblings or sleeping on sofas, and more than 2,600 people are not dealing with their debt on their own.
The support started when KCC received £10 million of Covid Emergency Grant to urgently respond to the impact of the pandemic and subsequently address the challenges presented by cost-of-living pressures.
The programme continues to be instrumental in providing a targeted response to those facing financial challenges in Kent, be they individuals, families, or businesses.
Speaking during the meeting, Mr Gough said: “I am extremely proud of the work of KCC’s Financial Hardship team and how they are working collaboratively with all our partners across Kent to help people find a practical way forward.
“The economic challenges faced across the country have placed unprecedented strain on households in Kent, with many struggling to make ends meet as prices rise and incomes are stretched thin.
“Through ongoing collaboration and shared commitment, we can continue to support residents in overcoming hardship and addressing financial issues, ensuring that everyone in Kent has the opportunity to achieve stability and success.”
The programme works closely in partnership with many organisations including district and borough councils, the voluntary sector, Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, as well as other teams within KCC. Its unique and trusted position working across the local Kent public sector has enabled the programme to achieve many positive impacts for Kent.
Its collaboration with Citizens Advice has helped hundreds of people take practical steps out of debt from the first contact, and the work of the Digital Kent wing of the programme is safely opening up the online world to people who either have not had the equipment nor the confidence before.
Now that the government has confirmed it will provide a further round of Household Support Funding, KCC will continue to deliver a county-wide scheme, as well as providing direct support to Free School Meal eligible households. As in previous rounds, 20 per cent of funds will be provided to district and borough councils to deliver local initiatives.
- For more information on the Just Missing Out scheme visit: Pensioner Just Missing Out scheme - Kent County Council
- For more information about a range of support available this winter, visit Cost of living support - Kent County Council
