The City Mayor in consultation with the Mayoral Team has developed a local scheme to support people of pensionable age by providing a one-off £200 towards heating bills over this winter period.
The scheme is aimed at Salford residents of pensionable age who receive support under the Council Tax Reduction (CTR) scheme for pensioners but are not in receipt of pension credits.
Designed to reach those most in need, it’s estimated that approximately 3,000 Salford households could benefit from this local initiative. They will soon receive a letter from the City Mayor and Councillor Kelly, Statutory Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Housing and Anti-Poverty with a unique code which is required to make their online claim for payment.
The Council Tax Reduction scheme is a vital component of the city’s anti-poverty agenda with the approach ensuring the scheme reaches our most vulnerable residents of pensionable age in need of support, in the most administratively efficient whilst minimising the ‘assessment’ element.
City Mayor of Salford, Paul Dennett, said: “Since being elected in May 2016 it’s been heartening to see the Spirit of Salford in action across our communities in tackling poverty, inequalities, while also delivering on our inclusion and preventative agenda. I’m immensely proud of all that we’ve achieved to support the most vulnerable, placing lived experience and genuine co-production, as typified by our second Poverty Truth Commission currently underway, at the heart of our tackling poverty, inequalities and inclusion work.
“We continue to be hugely passionate about doing everything possible to support our residents, families and communities at this time, especially as we continue to grapple with the challenges arising out of the cost-of-living crisis. Our mission-led approach to tackling poverty is why we have always invested in the direct delivery of Welfare Rights and Debt Advice Services, and why we continue to commission Salford Citizens Advice, our Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise sector infrastructure organisation Salford Community and Voluntary Service and work with Salford’s Credit Union to support residents, families and communities within our city.
“In February 2024 myself and the Mayoral Team committed the City Council to further investing over £400,000 in our Welfare Rights and Debt Advice Service over three years, to ensure we do all we can to help those people who need our help the most. This resulted in the City Council launching a campaign prior to the Government’s move to means-testing the Winter Fuel Payments, encouraging eligible pensionable age residents to apply for Pension Credit and other benefits they could be entitled to. We’ve written to nearly a thousand households thought to be eligible for Pension Credit but not currently receiving it and more recently we also held a Cost-of-Living Summit at the Civic Centre with partners to further galvanise everyone’s support for the Pension Credit campaign within our city.
“Since investing over £400,000, the City Council’s Welfare Rights and Debt Advice Service has helped 781 pension-aged households gain a total of £2,042,714.17 in support that they would otherwise have missed out on. This is a fantastic achievement and a real credit to the service, in what has been challenging and difficult times for many of our residents and families over the past 14 years with all the welfare changes the Government has been making, not forgetting the cuts to legal aid and the consequences in terms of residents and families often not being able to access justice.
“I’m really pleased that since the Government has extended the Household Support Fund for the remainder of this financial year, we’re now able to help pensioners with a £200 contribution toward their energy bills over winter, who are in receipt of Council Tax Reduction (under the Salford Pensionable scheme), but not currently in receipt of Pension Credit, and therefore won’t meet the means-test criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment this financial year.”
Councillor Tracy Kelly, Statutory Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Housing and Anti-Poverty, said: “Salford has already invested in supporting pensioners to apply for Pension Credit and this scheme enhances other initiatives which tackle poverty and inequality across the city. The winter fuel payment local scheme has been developed quickly to support our most vulnerable pensioners through the winter months who are struggling to make-ends-meet. By taking this decisive action we are hoping to avoid the distressing situation of our most vulnerable pensioners having to choose whether to heat or eat.
“I would also urge residents to be aware of scams at this time. We will never make residents pay for help and support so please be cautious.”
The winter support scheme uses funding from the council’s Cost of Living Investment fund and links to existing wider support available through the Household Support Fund, Salford Assist and Welfare Rights and Debt Advice team. Eligible residents for the scheme will soon be receiving a letter directly by the City Mayor and the Statutory Deputy City Mayor.
The scheme has been made possible through the government’s decisions on 2 September 2024 to extend the Household Support Fund for six months from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025 and the further announcement on the 30 October 2024 in the Autumn Budget to protect vulnerable people by providing £1 billion to extend the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments in 2025-26, which will be used by local authorities to address immediate hardship and crisis.
All residents of state pension age are urged to check if they can apply for Pension Credit as any amount can allow people to receive other benefits. These include the government’s winter fuel payment (which must be applied for before 21 December), warm homes discount, free TV licence if aged over 75 and more housing benefit and council tax reduction.
Visit www.salford.gov.uk/pensioncredits to find out more and how to apply.
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