Residents struggling with energy bills can get help

Warwickshire residents financially affected by the pandemic and struggling to pay their energy bills can seek support from Warwickshire County Council.

The county council's Local Welfare Scheme is offering a one-off payment to families and households finding it difficult to pay for fuel. Applications for the payment, in the form of a voucher, must be made by 16 April 2021.

Families and households in Warwickshire can apply whether they use pre-payment meters, pay by direct debit or on receipt of an energy bill if they can evidence eligibility through the impact of COVID-19 on their income.

Circumstances eligible for support include redundancy, furlough before payment, or being self-employed with unpredictable income or prior to an application for payment from the Government. Residents are invited to contact the Welfare Scheme team for a confidential discussion about their situation.

The support is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions' COVID Winter Grant Scheme which supplements ongoing emergency support from the Local Welfare Scheme for residents in financial crisis.

Rob Powell, Warwickshire County Council's Strategic Director for Resources, said: "The pandemic has affected families and households in many ways and some are feeling the financial impact acutely. The council is on hand to provide help and as part of our wider offer we are pleased to be able to offer a one-off voucher for fuel payments to anyone whose income has been adversely affected. We hope this will make a difference to many households and we urge residents to get in touch as soon as possible to find out more and enquire about other support that may also be available."

Since December 2020 the council has used its allocation from the Government's COVID Winter Grant Scheme to help families and individuals facing financial hardship to afford food, fuel and household essentials. Anyone entitled to benefits eligible free school meals automatically receives this support and applications are welcome from others in financial difficulty at this time.

This funding has provided a boost to efforts from the council and its partners throughout the pandemic to ensure people have access to vital aid including practical, financial and emotional support.  

To apply please call 0800 408 1448 or 01926 359182 to speak to an advisor in confidence. More information about the Local Welfare Scheme is online at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/localwelfarescheme.