Cost of living campaign reaches £6m milestone

More than £6.4m of previously unclaimed financial support has been accessed by Wigan Borough residents thanks to a flagship campaign.

Wigan Council’s Here For You initiative has hosted almost 250 events over the last 12 months, attended by more than 1,500 people.

At the events, residents are supported to check their eligibility for additional financial support, with a focus on Pension Credit.

Councillor Susan Gambles, cabinet member for welfare at Wigan Council, said: “The impact for some of the people that have come to our Help to Claim events has been astonishing.

“Hearing the stories of those who have received to additional financial support has been inspiring and has only renewed our commitment to helping people access this kind of support.

“The Help to Claim events will continue throughout 2025 to encourage as many people as possible to come along to see if they are also entitled to additional financial support.”

The events have been held in partnership with local community groups.

Launched in 2022, Here for You sees council officers – such as the local authority’s welfare support, housing and community teams  – work closely together to identify opportunities to help residents with cost-of-living crisis related issues.

For example, throughout the summer holidays, the council and local community groups worked together to offer school uniforms at a highly discounted cost to make the return to school more affordable for families.

Colin Taylor, from Wigan, who attended an event earlier this year, added: “I attended a Help to Claim event and it was truly life-changing.

“Even if you think you’re not entitled to a penny, just fill in the forms, you’re not going to lose anything.

“Just give it a go… and you can thank me later!”

To find out more, and find upcoming events near you visit here for you.