Category Financial support Show all
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Household Support Fund update
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The government’s Household Support Fund is there to support households most in need, especially with energy costs, food, water bills and other related essential items with two schemes currently open.
Pensioner scheme – deadline for registering 17 October 2025
We wrote to all eligible customers during June and July to invite a claim to receive a payment of £50. Not all eligible pensioners have registered their bank details with us to enable this payment to be issued so we have written again as a reminder of this scheme and invite a claim by the deadline of 17 October 2025.
If you were invited to claim but have not yet done so, we would encourage you to register your bank details with us to receive the support and you will also automatically be considered for future similar schemes.
More information can be found at:https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/residents/benefits-and-welfare-help/cost-of-living/household-support-fund/pensioner-low-income-households
Discretionary schemeOur new discretionary scheme which gives £150 to low-income households is now open for applications for those in need of support.
This discretionary scheme is only open to households which have an active claim for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction. As this is a new scheme, residents who already received support between May to September 2025, are now eligible to claim again.
More information including how to apply can be found at :
Winter pensioner scheme – due to open 10 November 2025In November, we will be opening our winter pensioner scheme. If you are eligible and have provided your bank details during the winter pensioner scheme last year, or during the summer pensioner scheme mentioned above, you’ll automatically be considered for this winter scheme too, with no need to apply again.
For all other eligible low-income pensioners who are receiving Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, we will contact you direct to advise how to claim this additional support.
More information can be found at:
Additional support and advice is available for anyone who is struggling to pay their bills, requires debt advice or who’s health has been affected by the rising cost of living.
http://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/cost-of-living -
Major expansion in funded childcare for working families
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Eligible working parents in Cheshire West and Chester could receive up to 30 hours of funded childcare each week during term time for children aged 9 months to school age. This change is part of the government's expanded Childcare Choices programme and is designed to help families with the cost of living, support working parents, and give children the best start in life.
This is a fantastic opportunity for local families to access funded childcare from as early as nine months old. The cost of living can be challenging, and this support can make a real difference to parents balancing work and family life. From the end of parental leave to the start of primary school, an average working parent could save up to £7,500 per year – money that stays in your pocket for your family's needs.
Share this information with friends, family members, neighbours, and community groups. Many families still don’t realise they’re eligible, especially those with younger children or returning to work.
For more information and to find out if you’re eligible for funded childcare, visit:
The Best Start in Life parent hub -
Household Support Fund update
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The government’s Household Support Fund is there to support households most in need, especially with energy costs, food, water bills and other related essential items. The current round provides funding until 31 March 2026.
Cheshire West and Chester plan to spend the money in the following ways:
- food vouchers for families with children who get free school meals
- payments to Pensioners who receive Pension Credit
- payments to Pensioners on a low income who are not receiving Pension Credit and therefore no longer qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment support
- making financial support available to people via local charitable organisations
- helping low-income households with energy and food costs
- income maximisation software to support residents to claim all of their eligible entitlements.
The round of discretionary funding for 2025/26 is now open for applications and is available to a broad range of low-income households across the borough, including families with children of all ages, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people. The discretionary scheme is only open to households which have an active claim for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction.
More information including how to apply can be found using the link below.
https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/household-support-fund
As of early July, we have now contacted all eligible Pension Credit customers directly to advise how to claim this payment.
The Council had previously intended to issue payments to pensioners on a low income who are not receiving Pension Credit to replace lost Winter Fuel Payment support. However, following amendments to the Winter Fuel Payment by central government, this support is no longer required.Therefore, in the autumn, we will be directly contacting all eligible low-income pensioners who are receiving Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, to advise how to claim additional support. More details will be provided in future newsletters. Please note that pensioners who have previously claimed Household Support Fund payment since December 2024, where possible the Council will reuse previous payment details provided so an application may not be required.
Additional support and advice is available for anyone who is struggling to pay their bills, requires debt advice or who’s health has been affected by the rising cost of living.
http://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/cost-of-living -
Warm Homes Grant
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Warm Homes Grant funding is expected to be available until 31 March 2028 in west Cheshire for home insulation and renewables such as heat pumps and solar panels. The grant has been made possible by funding from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.
Grants are available for homes which have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) that is Band D, E, F or G. You can check on the Energy Performance Certificate Register(External link) for your address. If your property doesn't have a certificate, we can help you to arrange one if you qualify for this scheme.
The amount of grant you can apply for varies depending on your property and the type of work that is needed. Homeowners are typically not expected to pay anything towards the scheme unless building repairs are needed before the insulation or renewables can be installed. In private rented properties, the landlord is expected to make a minimum 50 per cent contribution to the scheme after the first property.
Typical improvements to your home that may be carried out using the grant, include:- solid wall insulation (internal or external)
- cavity wall insulation
- loft, room-in-roof and flat roof insulation
- under-floor insulation
- heat pump
- solar photovoltaic (PV) panels for electricity generation
- high heat retention electric storage heaters, where a heat pump isn't suitable
- heating controls.
The target is for the energy efficiency measures to improve your EPC rating by at least two bands - for example, if your home is Band E, it should reach Band C or above with the planned improvements.
To qualify, you must be a homeowner who is living in the property as their main residence, or a private tenant, and meet the income criteria listed below.
- You receive an income related benefit (for example, Universal Credit, Pension Credit Guarantee, Council Tax Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or Tax Credits), or
- Your total household income before tax, National Insurance and other deductions is no more than £36,000, or
- Your total household income before tax, National Insurance and other deductions is no more than £20,000 after your housing costs have been deducted (by housing costs, we mean mortgage payments, rent payments and Council Tax).
When we calculate your household income, we will ignore any disability benefits (such as Personal Independence Payment or Attendance Allowance) so this will not count towards your household income. If you think you may be eligible please contact: homeenergy@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk(External link)
A member of the Council’s Climate Change Team will contact you to confirm your eligibility (we will ask you to provide us with documents to confirm your income) and explain the next steps.
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Latest news on the government’s Household Support Fund
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The government’s Household Support Fund is there to support households in the most need, especially with energy costs, food, water bills and other related essential items. The new round provides funding until 31 March 2026.
Cheshire West and Chester have chosen to spend the money in the following ways:- food vouchers for families with children who get free school meals
- payments to Pensioners who receive Pension Credit
- payments to Pensioners on a low income who are not receiving Pension Credit and therefore no longer qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment support
- making financial support available to people via local charitable organisations
- helping low-income households with energy and food costs
- income maximisation software to support residents to claim all of their eligible entitlements.
The new round of discretionary funding for 2025/26 will open by 16 May 2025 for applications and is available to a broad range of low-income households across the borough, including families with children of all ages, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people. The discretionary scheme is only open to households which have an active claim for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction.
More information including how to apply can be found using the link below.
https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/residents/benefits-and-welfare-help/cost-of-living/household-support-fund/energy-and-food-cost-supportDuring June, we will be contacting eligible Pension Credit customers directly to advise how to claim the support.
In the Autumn, we will be directly contacting eligible low-income pensioners who are not receiving Pension Credit, to advise how to claim the support. More details will be provided in future newsletters.
Additional support and advice is available for anyone who is struggling to pay their bills, requires debt advice or who’s health has been affected by the rising cost of living.
http://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/cost-of-living -
Cheshire West Crowd
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Cheshire West Crowd empowers people to create projects that will make a positive difference to their community.
Hundreds of different community projects have used the Cheshire West Crowd to run crowdfunding campaigns, collectively raising millions from thousands of supporters.
The Council has also pledged its support to many projects, helping them on their journeys to reaching their crowdfunding targets.
If you have an idea and a project in mind that you believe will make a difference to the people around you, consider sharing it with a local organisation. Any community project can kickstart their crowdfunding campaign on the Cheshire West Crowd.
Cheshire West Crowd – Home (spacehive.com)
The Cheshire West Crowd website has a range of information, including projects that are up and running and those that have already successfully used the platform, as well as details of how people can support them. You can filter the projects to Funded to see which ones are live.
Discover projects on the Cheshire West Crowd (spacehive.com)
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Gearing up for winter – Are you eligible for help this year?
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The great British summer has been and gone, and we are now heading towards Autumn and Winter where we all need to consider how best to get through the colder months in the cheapest possible way.
Many of you who receive benefits will already have received a cost of living payment of £301.00 after April to assist you in paying your gas and electricity bills. However, don’t forget, there will be two more payments coming.
To add up to a total of £900.00 for the year the government will issue the next payments as follows:
Autumn 2023 £300.00 (payable between 31 October and 19 November 2023)
Spring 2024 £299.00
To qualify for these payments, you have to be receiving one of the following benefits:
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
For these benefits you will have had to have an active benefit claim between 26 January to 25 February 2023 for the first payment. The government has not yet released the dates for the spring payment but if you met the criteria for the first two payments then it is likely you will receive the spring payment unless your circumstances and finances change.
If you are in receipt of Universal Credit, you are eligible for the Cost of Living Payment of £300 if you were entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period 18 August 2023 to 17 September 2023.
For those of you in receipt of disability benefits you should also be eligible for an extra £150.00 which was due to be paid this summer.
Also, if you are entitled already to a Winter Fuel Payment then you should also get either an extra £150.00 or an extra £300.00. The £300 is called the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment and will be automatically paid to people in receipt of State Benefit / Pension Credit.
You should receive a letter letting you know how much you will be getting for your Winter Fuel Payment around October to November this year.
The Warm Home Discount Scheme will also start again this winter for those who qualify. Those who should automatically qualify are people in receipt of:
- Housing Benefit
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income Support
- The ‘Savings Credit’ part of Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
Other people on a low income and those receiving Guarantee Pension Credit may also be eligible.
The Warm Home Discount will not be paid directly to you but will be paid to your utility supplier to help reduce your bills.
If you are on a prepayment meter then your electricity supplier can tell you how you’ll get the discount if you’re eligible, for example a voucher you can use to top up your meter.
You should be sent a letter sometime between October 2023 and early January 2024 if you are eligible. If you do not receive a letter but think you should qualify you can call their helpline on 0800 107 8002
You can find more information on all of the above as it is updated at the following website.
GOV.UK/cost of living payments 2023 to 2024Also, if you are struggling to pay your bills, National Energy Action has lots of useful advice and guidance on their website. If you are not on the internet, you can call them on 0800 304 7159
National Energy Action Advice and Support -
Household Support Fund
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Many people are struggling with the rising cost of living. If you’re one of those people, then the government’s Household Support Fund may be able to help you.
The Household Support Fund is there to support households in the most need, especially with energy costs, food, water bills and other related essential items. The fund is available to a broad range of low-income households across the borough including families with children of all ages, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers, and disabled people.
It’s worth noting that you don’t need to be getting benefits to receive help from the Household Support Fund and if you are receiving benefits the additional funding to help with the cost of living will not affect your benefits.To find out more about the Household Support Fund and to check if you’re eligible to apply, visit: Household Support Fund | Cheshire West and Chester Council
You can apply to the Household Support Fund anytime between now and 31 March 2024.
There is also more information about food provision, money advice, and mental health and wellbeing support on the Council’s cost of living web page.
Cost of living | Cheshire West and Chester Council -
If it looks too good to be true – beware!
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During these difficult times with prices soaring and the general cost of living rising, many people are getting into debt and are looking for any option to help them out.
If you use social media, you have probably started to see posts appearing offering a way out of debt. ‘Get rid of up to 90% of your debt’ and ‘A new government scheme can write off the majority of your debt’ are now becoming commonplace but how trustworthy are they and what is this ‘new government scheme’?
The majority of these get out of debt schemes being advertised usually relate to a debt option called an Individual Voluntary Arrangement or IVA for short.
So, what is an IVA? Is it a new government scheme and is it right for you?
An IVA is one of several insolvency options that have been around for years, others you may be more familiar with include Bankruptcy and Debt Relief Orders.
An IVA ‘can’ be a good option, but this is mainly for people who wish to enter an insolvency option but also want to protect their property if they have expensive vehicles, a mortgaged property or they are a homeowner. An IVA also involves paying a monthly amount of at least £80 for a period of 5-6 years.
More recently these adverts are being targeted at people who do not have any assets, do not own a house or mortgaged property, and have limited income through benefits or low paid jobs.
Any provider of free debt advice would explain all the different debt options to you and which options are unsuitable or to avoid. The companies behind the adverts do not do this, and often their main purpose is to sell an IVA to you regardless of whether it is the right option for you, as they make a profit.
What happens when someone signs up for an IVA?
There is a fee for being in an IVA which can be up to a few thousand pounds. A reputable provider would spread this fee across the 60 or 72 months of the IVA and include it in your payments, however, a lot of the companies who advertise do something called ‘front loading’ of their fees. This means that any payments you make go to pay off their fees before any of your payments go to the creditors you owe money to. It’s important to note that in this instance if you fail on your IVA then you could find that you’ve only covered the provider’s fees and still owe all the money you were in debt for at the start of the IVA.
If you are worried about being in debt, there is plenty of free advice available to you. Here you will be advised of all the options available to you, to help you choose the right one.
Free debt advice is available from:
Citizens Advice Cheshire West - Tel: 0808 278 7806
Pennysmart - Tel: 01244 651210 -
Final reminder for tax credits customers to renew their claim
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If you have received a renewal pack and still need to confirm your circumstances for the current tax year, it’s important that you do this by the annual deadline which is Monday 31 July, or you may be at risk of having your payments stopped.
Circumstances that could affect tax credits include changes to living arrangements, childcare, working hours or a change in income.
Two types of renewal packs were issued, as detailed below:
• ‘reply now’ packs had a red line across the first page and the words ‘reply now’. Customers must confirm their circumstances to renew their tax credits• ‘check now’ packs had a black line across the first page and the words ‘check now.’ Customers whose details are correct do not need to do anything and their tax credits will be automatically renewed.
The quickest and easiest way for you to renew your tax credits is via the GOV.UK website or via the HMRC app which you can download to your mobile device from the App Store or Google Play Store.
Manage your tax credits via GOV.UKYou can also renew tax credits by phone or post.
Telephone: 0345 300 3900
Post: Send tax credit renewal forms to the address below. You do not need to include a street name or PO box.Tax Credit Office
HM Revenue and Customs
BX9 1LR
United Kingdom