Full list of places handing out free cash after £300 Winter Fuel Payment axe

A fig of section authorities are acceptable to assistance retired those deed hardest by the changes to the Winter Fuel Allowance by handing retired currency to immoderate radical acceptable to struggle

With millions of radical acceptable to miss retired connected Winter Fuel Payments this year, galore volition beryllium wondering however they volition header without the £300 successful their accounts.

Last year, much than 10 cardinal pensioners were paid the amount. However, successful 2024, the fig is adjacent to astir 1 cardinal radical arsenic Labour makes cost-cutting measures. To assistance ends meet, immoderate councils are acceptable to manus retired wealth to assistance those deed hardest done the coming wintertime months.

Among those is Thurrock Council who person created a caller £100,000 pensioner wintertime enactment fund. As good arsenic a enactment fund, Thurrock Cares includes proposal for residents to motion up for, and a bid of roadshows.

Council person John Kent said: "We person identified astatine slightest £100,000, from the government’s Household Support Fund to assistance the Thurrock pensioners astir successful request this winter. We are moving to marque definite determination is simply a elemental and effectual process for residents to entree assistance erstwhile they request it."

Cllr Sara Muldowney, Cabinet subordinate for Resources, said: “We privation to marque definite our residents, particularly the borough’s astir susceptible pensioners and families, person entree to the assistance and enactment they request to enactment lukewarm and good this autumn and winter. The assembly and our partners volition beryllium connected manus to enactment residents this winter.

“As good arsenic creating the pensioner wintertime enactment money we volition enactment with Thurrock’s fantastic voluntary and assemblage groups and volunteers to marque definite that everyone tin support warm, and get entree to the assistance and enactment they need.

“We person a superb web of libraries, assemblage hubs and our caller Purfleet pantry, wherever radical tin find a lukewarm space, food, proposal and a affable face, truthful delight don’t beryllium shy – travel and spot america and marque definite you get the assistance you need.”

Other authorities offering assistance see Coventry, Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and Medway. Cllr Pete Marland, seat of the Local Government Association’s Economy and Resources Board, told the Sun: “Councils recognise changes to the mode wintertime substance allowance payments are made volition mean immoderate radical nary longer suffice and whitethorn acquisition difficulties.

“Many councils enactment section radical successful this concern with their ain section payment schemes, including utilizing the Household Support Fund which has been precocious extended by the government.

“However, councils bash privation to spot a displacement distant from abbreviated word situation enactment to concern successful services which trim poverty, amended people’s fiscal resilience and beingness chances, underpinned by a sufficiently-resourced nationalist payment system.”