Inspiring change together

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 2024

Also, 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

Pregnant people, or those with children under the age of four, could be eligible for the Healthy Start scheme and receive help with buying food and milk.

While nearly 300 more eligible people in west Cheshire are now claiming Healthy Start compared to the start of 2023, more than £13,500 worth of support was still unclaimed in September 2023, meaning many people are missing out.

Through the Healthy Start scheme, you can use your card to buy:

• plain liquid cow’s milk
• fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables
• fresh, dried and tinned pulses
• infant formula milk based on cow’s milk.

You can also use your card to collect the following.

• Healthy Start vitamins – these support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• Vitamin drops for babies and young children – these are suitable from birth to four years old.

How you could qualify
You can access the Healthy Start scheme if you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant, or you have at least one child aged under four, and receive any of the following.

• Child Tax Credit (only if your family’s annual income is £16,190 or less)
• Income support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Pension Credit (which includes the child addition)
• Universal Credit (only if your family’s take-home pay is £408 or less per month from employment)

What you’ll get

• £4.25 each week of your pregnancy (from the 10th week of your pregnancy)
• £8.50 each week for children from birth to one year old
• £4.25 each week for children between one and four years old

How to apply
You’ll need to apply online to access Healthy Start, even if you previously used paper vouchers through the scheme before it went digital.
Apply online today

Help spread the word
The Council and a range of partners have worked together on a local flyer to promote the scheme and highlight that some people in the area aren’t claiming what they’re entitled to.

Could you share this flyer through your own networks or encourage local organisations you know to place a copy in their community building?

Download a copy of the flyer

Citizens Advice has a dedicated energy team offering a range of services designed to help residents in Cheshire West with the ongoing energy crisis.

Their aim is to help those already in fuel poverty and to stop others from falling into fuel poverty. The energy project looks to help residents achieve affordable warmth by improving energy efficiency, increasing income, and providing energy advice.

Free energy advice appointments are available. Providing tips on how to reduce consumption and cut energy costs as well as signposting residents to available grants and schemes to help them maximise their income.

Free energy advice workshops are available to community groups, consumers and volunteers, at their place of work or venue. Here you will receive helpful energy advice and there will be leaflets and other materials to take away with you. These are delivered as energy talks directly to consumers at meetings or as drop-ins / pop-ups.

Free training presentations can be delivered to organisations who have officers or volunteers that work directly with residents who are either facing or in fuel poverty. These interactive training sessions include topics and information that can be used to help front line workers provide help and advice to others.

To find out more about energy advice services on offer from Citizens Advice Cheshire West, or to book an appointment or workshop, visit:
www.citizensadvicecw.org.uk

Alternatively, you can email the energy team, at:
energy-advice@citizensadvicecw.org.uk

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

The Council has teamed up with the Energy Saving Trust to bring you an app that will give you advice on how to use less energy in your home and save money.

The app which is available to download from both Apple and android app stores is simple and easy to use.

It takes you on a journey of a typical home. Simply click on the different rooms within the home, such as a bedroom or kitchen and you will be prompted to answer yes or no to certain questions relating to electrical items within that room – things such as ‘Do you turn off lights every time you leave a room?’. If the answer is No, then it will tell you what potential financial saving you could make if you change what you currently do.

Did you know:
• that by turning lights off when you don’t need them you will save around £25 a year on your energy bill

• if you line dry your clothes in the summer months instead of using a tumble dryer you could save £60 each year

• if you replace your showerhead with a water efficient one it can save you around £35 off your yearly gas bill.

Once you have completed your tour of the rooms in the house, the app will tell you the total potential saving you could make by making a few minor changes. You can also ask for a report that shows you where you could save energy and money.

Not only will the suggested energy saving measures help to save you money, you will also be playing your part to reduce your household carbon emissions which in turn supports the borough’s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2045.

Download the app today by searching CWAC: Energy Advice Tool and start saving money as well as protecting the planet.

People can become homeless or be at risk of homelessness for various reasons, but it is important that you contact the Council’s Housing Options team as early as possible for information and support. We may be able to help you stay in your home, help you find alternative accommodation or be able to provide emergency accommodation. This depends on your circumstances, such as if you have children who depend on you, or you meet the priority need criteria.

The Housing Options team can be contacted via the Freephone Advice Line: 0808 175 3595 (opening hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9am – 4.30pm and Wednesday 1pm – 4.30pm).

It’s important to gather as much information as possible about your situation before contacting the Housing Options team. This can include:

• Proof of identity.
• Your eviction notice from your landlord or confirmation in writing that you have been asked to leave other accommodation.
• Birth certificates if you have children.
• Information on any medical conditions.
• 5-year address history.

What happens next?

Once we have done an initial assessment and we have reason to believe that you are homeless or at risk of homelessness, we will book you in for a homeless assessment with an experienced Case Management Officer. This is usually done by telephone, but you can request a face-to-face appointment.

Where we have information that you are threatened with homelessness within the next 56 days and regardless of your priority need, we will work with you to prevent you from becoming homeless, by helping you to remain in your current property or helping you to secure alternative accommodation.

If at the point of assessment, you have already become homeless we will work with you to relieve homelessness. If you meet the threshold for ‘priority need’ we will offer you emergency accommodation. We are unable to guarantee the location of the emergency accommodation, but it will usually be a hotel.

Homeless prevention tools

The Council’s primary aim is always to prevent homelessness and the sooner you call, the more likely we are to find a way to keep you in your home. The Housing Options team has multiple tools that they can use to assist you to resolve your situation.

Personalised Housing Plan: a personalised housing plan will be formulated when you are owed a prevention or relief duty. The plan is agreed between you and your Case Management Officer for you to use as a guide to help you resolve your situation. It will be tailored to your unique situation.
Negotiation: this will apply if you have been served notice by a private landlord. We will work on your behalf to mediate between yourselves to determine if there is any support the Council can give that allows you to remain in your home and the notice be retracted.
Financial assistance: if it is identified that a financial payment could help you remain in your current property or help you to move into a new property, your Case Management Officer can apply to the Homeless Prevention Fund for a grant.
Mediation: this will apply if you have been asked to leave by family or friends. We will act as a mediator between yourselves to support you to return to the property or create an agreement that allows you to stay temporarily whilst we work to secure you alternative accommodation.
Supported Housing: in Cheshire West, ForFutures deliver our support service. Support can be provided to help you remain in your current home or there is supported housing available across the borough. There are a range of different housing schemes and support is tailored to the individual. Supported accommodation works as a bridging gap to support people to become tenancy ready when they may have experienced difficulties managing previous accommodation.
Social Housing: the Council manages the housing register for social housing in Cheshire West. West Cheshire Homes operates as a partnership between the registered housing providers in the borough. The West Cheshire Homes team will award you a priority banding based on your housing need. You will then be able to bid on suitable properties. You can register online at: http://westcheshirehomes.housingjigsaw.co.uk/account/account/register
Private Rented Sector: it is often easier, and quicker, to secure a private rented property, although you must be prepared to act fast in a very competitive market. Our Private Sector Liaison Officers work with landlords and local letting agencies to help find alternative accommodation options for our customers. If a suitable property is found by you or the Private Sector Liaison Officer, we may be able to help with rent in advance, a BOND, or a deposit from the Homeless Prevention Fund.
Debt Advice: if you are struggling with debt and money worries, you may need to seek help and advice. With lots of free confidential help and impartial debt advice services available, there is no need to use a fee-charging debt management company. We would seek to put you in touch with organisations that specialise in debt advice, with the ultimate aim that such intervention would enable you to remain in your accommodation.
Maximising income: this can apply to any person’s current living arrangements. We will help you to ensure you are receiving the correct benefits, help you to claim or challenge for the correct benefits and help you to claim any other funds for which you may qualify.

More Information
GOV.UK: Help if you’re homeless or about to become homeless
GOV.UK: New free legal advice for people facing eviction or repossession
Citizens Advice: Homelessness
Shelter: Homelessness Advice

All pupils who go to school in the Cheshire West and Chester area, and are in reception, year 1 or year 2 in September 2023 can receive a school meal at no cost to the parent or guardian.

However, it’s important that all parents or guardians that have a statutory entitlement to a free school meal complete the online application form. Completing the free school meals application form may mean that your child’s school can claim additional funding, known as the Pupil Premium.

The Pupil Premium is extra money given to your child’s school to spend on resources such as one to one tutoring, music lessons, extracurricular clubs, and school trips. For the academic year 2023/2024 this is £1455.00 per eligible pupil. Funding is based on children registered for a free school meal, further reinforcing the importance of making sure all those who qualify are registered.

Your child may be entitled to receive free school meals if you are in receipt of one of the following:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit, provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income that does not exceed £16,190.
• Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400)

To apply online use the link below. The on-line eligibility checker will notify you straight away if you do or do not qualify.

Free school meals | Cheshire West and Chester Council

If you cannot apply online contact your school who will be able to provide you with a paper application form, alternatively you can telephone Free School Meals on 0300 123 7039.

It is essential that you complete the online form to help make sure your child’s school is funded as well as possible.

Plus, there are additional benefits of free school meals to you and your child, including:

• savings of more than £450 a year per child
• saves time making packed lunches
• your child gets a healthy, tasty cooked meal
• children achieve more when they've had a cooked lunch.

Skills Bootcamps are free flexible courses of up to 16 weeks for people looking for a new role or job opportunity. You could learn new skills in lots of different sectors including digital skills, engineering, construction, transport, and health and social care.

Skills Bootcamps are open to people who are employed, unemployed, and self-employed. They can help you gain new skills to progress at work or find a new career. For many of the Skills Bootcamps available, you don’t need any prior knowledge about the subject.

The best bit is that once you complete the course, you’ll be guaranteed a job interview.

You may be eligible to apply for a Skills Bootcamp if you:

• are aged 19 or over
• have the right to work in the UK
• live in England
• meet residency requirements – the training provider can check this
• claim Universal Credit you can apply for a Skills Bootcamp and continue to claim benefits.

Some Skills Bootcamps have additional eligibility criteria. Contact the training provider to check if you’re eligible and apply for the course.

You can see a list of Skills Bootcamps running in the North West of England on the government website.
Find a Skills Bootcamp - North-west - Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

There are also some Skills Bootcamps available to view on the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership website.
Skills Bootcamps - Catalogue - Cheshire and Warrington

Check out these featured Skills Bootcamps:

• If you are interested in learning at your own pace, working on an online project with a mentor to guide you rather than having scheduled lessons, check out the bootcamps offered by OpenClassrooms. They have flexible Skills Bootcamps for a Data Analyst, Digital Marketer, Web Developer, or Agile Project Manager.
  Boost Your Career with FREE Digital Skills Bootcamps - OpenClassrooms
• If you are able to travel a little way to attend an in-person Skills Bootcamp on multi-trade construction, you can start one anytime in Trafford Park in Manchester:
  Skills Bootcamp in Construction Multi-Trade (gceducationandskills.ac.uk)
• Intrigued by 3D printing, 3D CAD and digital manufacturing? You could start a 10-week Skills Bootcamp with 3D 360 at any time. They are also advertising a free printer for every student.
  DfE Funded Skills Bootcamps - 3D Printer Training, Design Services & Consultancy - Northwest (3d360printer.co.uk)
• Would you like to become a care worker? You can choose between an online course (link below) or email Warrington & Vale Royal College on hsca@wvr.ac.uk to find out more about their care worker bootcamp.
  Care Skills Bootcamp course | W3 DfE Bootcamp (theskillsnetwork.com)
• If you’ve always wanted to work in rail travel, email Cheshire College South and West via info@ccsw.ac.uk to get more information about their Rail Track Maintenance Skills Bootcamp.
• Whether you’re already a HGV driver looking to upgrade your licence, or a novice wishing to get started in the industry, the Driver Academy Group offers Skills Bootcamps for a range of ability levels. See the bootcamps they run and apply online.
  HGV Bootcamp | Government Funded HGV Training For Businesses and Individuals

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

Live Well Cheshire West: Debt advice

Cheshire West and Chester Council is inviting residents and local organisations to join a conversation to help shape a new plan for the Borough.

Building on the approach of the current Council Plan, the new plan will bring local people and local organisations together around shared priorities, so everyone can play their part.

Leader of the Council, Councillor Louise Gittins, encouraged residents, businesses and services to take part and said: “This is the start of an important conversation about the future of our communities.

“We know there are major challenges to address. Many residents find themselves under strain, our brilliant businesses have been challenged, our vital local services are under pressure, and public finances are very tight. But we remain hopeful that, by working together, we can tackle these challenges and grasp opportunities.

“We need to build on the strengths, hopes and aspirations of our incredible communities. That’s how real change happens. So, I am asking for your initial views to start the conversation.

“We will listen, and we will take your views seriously. Thank you in advance for your contribution.”

This phase of the Conversation launches today, Wednesday, 6 September, and closes on Sunday, 8 October. People can go online to share their ideas, highlight the things they are most proud of in their community, read what others have already said and see what the data says about west Cheshire. People will also be able to forward their ideas directly to us either online or through various other methods.

Responses and contributions will be used to develop a draft Borough Plan, which people will be able to comment on later in the year, before being taken for approval to a meeting of the full Council in February. As the conversation progresses, paper copies of the Council's proposals will be available in libraries throughout the borough. Alternative formats will be available upon request.

There are a number of ways you can get involved and have your say.

• Visit: cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/jointheconversation to share your views on the strengths, challenges and opportunities you see in your community and across west Cheshire
• E-mail: jointheconversation@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
• Write: Join the Conversation, Insight and Intelligence, Cheshire West and Chester Council, The Portal, Wellington Rd, Ellesmere Port CH65 0BA
• Phone: 0300 123 8123 quoting ‘Join the Conversation’.