Kent households, including some pensioners who just miss out on winter fuel payments now means-testing has been introduced, may be able to get help from the county council.
Leader of Kent County Council, Roger Gough, says the authority will use £1m of its Household Support Fund to help some of the county’s most vulnerable people through the next few months.
In September, MPs voted to cut the winter fuel payment for those who are not claiming pension credit or other means-tested benefits.
Prior to the vote the payment to help with fuel bills was available to anyone over the age of 66 regardless of income levels, meaning wealthy households were also entitled to the sum. The payment is £200, rising to £300 for those over 80.
The cut saves the government about £1.5bn a year as it attempts to fill a claimed “black hole” in finances of £22bn.
The number of winter payment recipients drops from 10.8 million to 1.5 million.
KCC says that with many pensioners in Kent set to miss out on this year’s winter fuel payment, it will be using money from the Household Support Fund, issued by the Department of Work and Pensions, to provide targeted support to older people who are struggling financially, but who just miss out on qualifying to receive pension credit and the fuel allowance.
Cllr Gough 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.
“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 support scheme will offer a public and professional referral pathway, allowing Kent residents to apply themselves, or a professional, friend or family member to apply on their behalf. The support will be provided in vouchers for either food or energy, depending on the most pressing need of each person.
Details of the support are due to be announced on the Kent Together page shortly.
Pension aged people are also being urged to check whether they could be eligible for pension credit.
There could be as much as £68 million going unclaimed in Kent, and it’s estimated that a third of those in the county who are eligible are not getting the help they can.
East Thanet MP Polly Billington previously said ensuring the country has financial stability meant the ‘toughest choice’ was the Chancellor’s decision to target the winter fuel payment to the most vulnerable pensioners who are eligible for Pension Credit.
She said she wanted to ensure that pensioners in East Thanet on the lowest incomes are registered for Pension Credit and anyone who may be eligible for support they are not currently receiving should get in touch with her office and her casework team will help. Contact via email at: [email protected]
She added: “As a result of MPs like me speaking up, the government is extending the Household Support Fund, providing £500m of targeted support for those in the greatest need.”
In a report this month from the charity Age UK, the charity estimates that 800,000 pensioners who are aged 80 or over, and who are living in poverty or just above the poverty line, will no longer receive the extra support this winter.
Age UK had appealed for pensioners who are in receipt of housing benefit, council tax support, personal independence allowance, attendance allowance and carers allowance to qualify for winter help.
Pension Credit drop-ins for Thanet
Social Enterprise Kent is holding free Pension Credit drop in sessions this month in a bid to make sure those eligible make a claim.
Thanet, with approximately 33,686 over 65s, has one of the highest proportions of elderly people in Kent.
The pension credit sessions to be held in Margate are to support people to make a claim.
They will be held at SEK’s premises at 63-65 High Street, Margate, on:
- Monday, 4th November | 9:30am – 12:30pm
- Tuesday, 14th November | 1:00pm – 4:00pm
- Tuesday, 21st November | 1:00pm – 400pm
What to bring:
3 months of bank statements
Details of your savings
Your National Insurance number
Find help
For more information on how to check if you or someone you know can apply for Pension Credit you can check eligibility by visiting Pension Credit calculator – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Or call the Pension Credit Claim Line at 0800 99 1234, Monday – Friday 8am-6pm.
Kent’s Money Advice Hubs, across the county including in Cliftonville and Ramsgate, are on hand to offer support and advice on Pension Credit eligibility and applications. The service can be accessed Monday to Friday, between 9am to 5pm.
Good to know the Tories care about our pensioners, even if Labour don’t.
She added: “As a result of MPs like me speaking up, the government is extending the Household Support Fund, providing £500m of targeted support for those in the greatest need.”
Well Polly, the problem is we remember you spoke up in July about keeping Labour’s pledge of getting rid of the two child cap-describing the appalling impact it had on children in very strong terms & then just six days later voted to keep it in place. In that article of gaslighting & lies you also said you would keep your pledge of keeping people warm & then weeks later voted to get rid of the winter fuel payment as well.
It seems to be a repetitive theme of Labour-since stealing our votes with porkies, to claim credit for things the Tories had already set in place. If you had concern for your constituents you would have stood up to Starmer & kept your promises, you like nearly all of the Labour MP’s didn’t-because like the obscenely corrupt PM & his fellow snouts in the trough cabinet you are only interested in yourself & what you can get out of the job & now you are trying to fool us into believing you are responsible for this development.
Your party just as predicted delivered a budget of carrying on going after the poorest in society & destroying small businesses, while rewarding your rich friends/donors-the ones you told us would carry the biggest burden.
We have seen you throwing billions & in some cases tens of billions of cash on total rubbish-including magically finding the exact imaginary 22 billion blackhole figure you claim while producing zero evidence of such for the useless carbon capture greenwashing, to be done by the Cayman’s company that bunged Labour 4 million, yet still ‘cannot find’ 1.4 billion for pensioners to stop them freezing to death-your party is a disgrace.
“you like nearly all of the Labour MP’s didn’t-because like the obscenely corrupt PM”
Please, do provide three examples of this “corrupt” action. I’ll wait.
As pensioners ourselves we did receive the winter fuel allowance but now we won’t neither will millions of other pensioners.
Why because we are not entitled to it and I suspect never entitled to it. What the Conservatives do when they are in power is they use taxpayers money for the Conservative party’s own agenda,
regardless of what damage it does to the country. They sold off council houses to bribe the tenants to vote Tory. They sold off the utilities companies in return for large donations to the Conservative Party funds -they paid out the winter fuel allowance to bribe pensioners into voting Tory. The Conservatives tax every body as much as they can expect the very wealthy who pay the lowest tax by fiddling their tax obligations working with off shore companies. If you go into M&S at Westwood Cross or I suspect any M&S or Waitrose store throughout the U.K. you will find it’s packed with wealthy pensioners. Who don’t need or deserve the winter fuel allowance. It’s right it’s only paid to those who qualify for it. It was only a few weeks ago that KCC was complaining that they were having to make big cuts to their budget and close children services, now KCC are giving away taxpayers money to those who don’t legally qualify for it. Of course the council elections are coming around so it’s just another bribe with taxpayers money to buy votes.
Labour Party lied and concealed their agenda – I will never ever trust anyone connected with Labour Party – I see Mrs Reeves and her boyfriend are collecting in £74000.00 per year in rent from their properties- obscene!
“Labour Party lied and concealed their agenda”
Erm, no they didn’t. They unequivocally stated the first few years would be tough.
Anon – are you serious! Where in all their blurb was any mention of dismantling Winter Fuel Allowance? This act of betrayal towards elderly will come back to haunt these idiots big time. The Labour Party are no longer fit for purpose. Keep their Union Paymasters happy and stick their noses deep in trough for five year#. Pathetic and makes mockery of party for the people!
Bill So what about the pensioners who are just above the qualifying limit for pension credit and will suffer immensely through the loss of the WFA? Have you thought about them?
I note that the relied planned by KCC will be targeted, just like the WFA
Laurence Davies – yes I have – does not change my view whatsoever concerning the deceitful conduct of Labour Party so desperate for power. I detest liars! Even local Labour politicians have trouble with mathematics !
Fed upB. My comment was aimed at rambling Bill the bloke who seems to spend his time wondering around M&S & Waitrose looking for rich pensioners. As far as the Liebour Party I concur with your views.
Winter fuel allowance was introduced by Gordon Brown in 1997 when he was Labour chancellor. Not a Tory bribe.
Steven – the same Gordon Brown that virtually gave our reserves away? Another example of Labour Party and economics – does not install confidence
“the same Gordon Brown that virtually gave our reserves away?”
or logically, in the real world, applying critical thought, who SOLD SOME, keyword, SOME, of our gold reserves and insulated the uk from the worst effects of the 2008 crash. Without which, we would’ve been worse off than Spain?
I think you’re projecting your lack of education regarding economics onto Labour tbh.
Anon – a lack of education should be directed to you. Some of us live in a real world and we’re old enough to have experienced previous Labour efforts at Government.going back to 60’s. All ended with same result, debt and more debt! But, you continue to believe.
Public services are in a mess and we were all given fair notice that something needed to be done.After Trussanomics any government Labour or Tory has to tread carefully,so we can’t crank up the printing presses and/or borrow more, leaving our kids to pay the bill.
Whether the black hole was larger or smaller than admitted is now history.
All sides having boxed themselves in over personal taxes and advelorum taxation we are stuck with asking the better off to pay a bit more.Not catastrophically more, just a bit more.
So,Polly Billington is not on your Christmas card list,and Labour is not your party of choice, is a narrative we have heard from you, so many times. So much so,that it is running a deep groove in the IOTN HYS.
Tell us something new,and explain to a disbelieving world what you would cut instead? Cancer care perhaps? As Liz Truss was alleged to have proposed, in Seldon’s book Truss at 10.
If not that what else?
I’d increase running costs of private car use (NOT delivery drivers, lorries, vans). It would both raise money and encourage use of public transport, cycling and (gasp! horror!) walking.
And you?
You’d also price out a lot of local disabled folk from driving, but hey, they don’t matter, right? Given you’ve not factored them into your virtue signalling…
No policy is perfect.
Not even the party you’re too embarrassed by to use your name.
Erm, in case you didn’t notice George, Labour just tore up the fiscal rules & announced they will be borrowing vast amounts of money-140 billion over the course of this parliament it seems.
Why is the black hole history? They made a claim & have refused to back it up with any proof. Is it history because it is Labour? Labour were my party of choice-that is why I gave them my vote like most other people-based on what turned out to be a pack of lies.
What would I cut? Here are several of the top of my head & 1.4 billion is a drop in the ocean of this cesspool.
1. The 22 billion contracts for the failed carbon capture technology, being given to the tax dodging hedge fund in the Caymans that bunged them 4 million for the deals.
2. The 11.6 billion they might as well just burn in public for overseas climate crisis. This of course will not change a thing, because the USA, China, Russia, India etc are not going to change their ways & without that the planet is doomed.
3. The 50 million bonus they just gave to the King.
4. Stop using taxpayer money to pay MP’s on six figures per annum heating bills & other stuff.
5. Make the companies giving MP’S ‘freebies’ for favours down the line match that value & give it to a local council or charity.
6. Make the royals pay for the upkeep of their obscene palaces, opulent weddings, security etc out of their own pockets, rather than those of the taxpayer.
7. Charge the super wealthy minority a 1% tax-this was the promise we were given-that the richest would shoulder the largest burden & they would of course barely notice that.
” China, Russia, India etc are not going to change their ways & without that the planet is doomed.”
2) Mate, you clearly don’t keep up with the developments, globally, regarding climate change. China are WELL on their way to absolutely smashing the targets and providing cleaner energy on a huge scale. So your comment about them changing their ways is rooted in wilful ignorance.
6) Someone is forgetting the tax windfall and income from tourists, aren’t they?
7) They did bring in a tax on wealth. See – farmers crying they can’t avoid/evade inheritance tax anymore.
George, also don’t forget that Starmer & Labour claimed (lied) that they wanted people to go for pension credit-this would cost 1.7 billion, more than the 1.4 billion he/they say cannot be afforded by giving the winter fuel payments. Snouty Starmer can’t explain it, Rachel from accounts can’t either. Can you figure out the maths?
Can you share a source showing this lie for us all?
Or even better anon can you share us an original name for your postings rather than just anon? Maybe Tom, Dick ,Harry or even Keir, Ange, Rachel or Polly?
“Suspended GB News Anchor”- you call Keir Starmer “Starmer”, why don’t you call Rachel Reeves “Reeves”?
Because “Rachel from accounts” is far more amusing. At least for us with a sense of humour.
Have a look at ‘Private Eye’ magazine, for far better/worse.
Me and my wife are just above the limit to claim any benefits whatsoever the real wealth we have thankfully is our health which considering our ages we are very grateful for we don’t smoke or drink alcohol. The Conservatives run the country into the ground we all know that, so Labour has the job trying to repair the damage also we are much worse off from Brexit and all the lies from the Conservatives and their bed buddy mad Farage the pied Piper of disaster.
That ends a party political broadcast by the Liebour Party! Bill Im sure if you ask nicely Lord Alli will buy your wife and you a winter coat.
How dedicated are you to ignore all the Labour corruption, lies & gaslighting right in front of your face for months on end now?
Only yesterday Rayner finally declared the clothes Alli bought for her correctly-having falsely claimed it was for office expenses, Reeves did the same with donations from another donor.
Labour aren’t going to sort anything out-they just delivered a budget that punished the poorest in society, while doing nothing to the rich-what they promised to do. They are in it purely to line their own pockets & be totally authoritarian. They are just as bad & corrupt as the Tories-Starmer is more on the take than any UK politician ever.
“they just delivered a budget that punished the poorest in society,”
Weird how MArtin Lewis and other economists don’t agree with you then, isn’t it?
Dry your tears labour won the election get over it.
I voted Labour. But that doesn’t mean I now think that they’re beyond criticism… and nor should you.
Well said Peter, no organisation or individual in this sphere should be beyond a healthy critical eye. I too voted labour, always have, there ive outed myself. The only time i didnt was when Corbyn was in as i felt hed be a disaster and wasnt sure about some of his dubious allegiances. Still couldnt bring myself to vote for another party though.
That said there are many decisions im not overly comfortable with but if you were to scrutinise any local or national policy on any given thing youll always find something among them you wont necssarily agree with.
All this foaming at the mouth theyve ruined the country in 100 days stuff though… basically everythings been run into the ground during the last administration yet a few months into the new and we have all this anti government bile.
Its almost as if some people want the country to fail.
Everyone who votes has a vested interest and by extension does so for ‘selfish’ reasons, myself included but i despair of the ignorance and inability to have a sensible open conversation on many things that matter without resorting to shrieks of ‘theyve all got their noses in the trough’ type rhetoric.
Honestly… maybe judge the current administration after a term and then tot up how theyve done, not after a few months.
I also couldnt give a flying toss if so and so got free concert tickets here or there! Big deal and so what. Good for them. It really doesnt warrant the rabid saltiness it attracts from some corners of the playground
why would you, someone who’s openly rallied against the woke on here, vote for a progressive party that have “woke” values at its core? I thought Reform or Homeland Party/SDP would’ve been more your thing…
Because what potential candidates can do LOCALLY matters more to me than party politics. Fortunately, I don’t live in East Thanet, as I wouldn’t have known who to vote for… it could just as likely have been Green as Reform (but certainly not Polly).