Winter support transcript

This is a video transcript for the winter support video.

[Title card with interviewer's voice] Just missed out on Pension Credit? KCC Leader Roger Gough explains the extra help we're offering people over the state age pension age this winter.

[Video changes to KCC Leader Roger Gough sat in office facing the interviewer]

[Interviewer off camera] So Roger tell us first of all, why you've launched this scheme at Kent County Council.

[KCC Leader Roger Gough responds] We think it's 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 they're not eligible for Pension Credit. We've already ben doing a lot of work to ensure that those people who are eligible for Pension Credit  take it up, but there's a lot of people who will not be eligible for that,  but just at that level above it, not really wealthy people, but people for whom this winter could well mean real hardship.

[Interviewer] So it will be available this winter. Who do you think will be able to take advantage of this extra support being offered?

[KCC Leader Roger Gough responds] This support is very much focused on those who aren't eligible, for benefits such as Pension credit but who are nonetheless not wealthy, experiencing pressure through this winter, may have to make difficult decisions about energy or food, and so the focus will be on vouchers in that sort of area and above all, ensuring that those people are able to, have a much better situation over this winter than would otherwise be the case.

[Interviewer] Now, a lot of people haven't applied for Pension Credits and we know that's because they're not digitally savvy, I suppose. So are there other routes for people to go down, that don't involve going online to apply?

[KCC Leader Roger Gough responds] Yes, there will be online routes, but at the same time,  we recognise that many of the people who for whom this would be particularly helpful are not necessarily if you like, digitally enabled. So, we will ensure that there are a whole variety of different routes so that the people who really need the help can apply for it and get it.

[Interviewer] So the Cabinet has taken the decision to offer this extra support, but it's part of the entire Households Support Fund Scheme isn't it? Which has been successful over the past few years hasn't it?

[KCC Leader Roger Gough responds] Yes. So we've deployed with funding from successive governments the Household Support Fund. We've also actually been running a whole number of schemes of our own to ensure that the people who've been having the most difficult time in recent years get help. And it's often not just about providing that help immediately, but about how building up people's capacity, their resilience, their understanding of their financial position so that they can actually get through tough times in the future, and ensure, for example the people claim where they can, the benefits to which they're entitled, that we refer people to the right agencies so they don't fall down the cracks between different public services. And also, that we provide support in terms of, financial capacity and understanding. So it's a whole range of things that we have been doing. Behind that has stood the Household Support Fund. That is what we are using, to ensure on this occasion that we support these people through the winter.

[End card with interviewer's voice, including Kent Together logo and Kent County Council logo] To find out more visit www.kent.gov.uk/pensioncredit.

ENDS.