Pensioners can apply for winter fuel grants

Some pensioners in Devon could be eligible for grants to help them with their winter fuel bills.

North Devon Council (NDC) has allocated £200,000 for grants for pensioners who receive a council tax reduction because they live alone or have low incomes.

It comes after the government decided to scrap the universal winter fuel payment for millions of pensioners, meaning only people receiving pension credit are eligible for the £200 or £300 benefit.

The council said there were just under 1,000 pensioner households that would be eligible for the grants from the Household Support Fund (HSF).

NDC said its strategy and resources officers would decide whether there should be a blanket award or if each individual household should be assessed according to their income, the Local Democracy Reporting Service, (LDRS) said.

Since October 2021, the council has handed out more than £1.6m to the most vulnerable households in the North Devon council area through the HSF, the LDRS reports.

In this sixth round of HSF funding, it has £350,000 for the next six months and the remaining £150,000 will be allocated through applications made to the council.

The application process is due to start in the next few weeks.

The LDRS reported there were currently 2,700 pensioners who receive a council tax reduction in North Devon, with 1,700 of these getting pension credit, which makes them still eligible for the government's winter fuel payment.

Councillors said they were concerned that people just over the benefit threshold would struggle this winter so they want to see a new system to ensure everyone who needs it gets the payment.

The authority has written to the government condemning the scrapping of the universal payment in July.

When Chancellor Rachel Reeves made the announcement she said she had to make "urgent decisions" because of the previous government's "undisclosed" overspending.

The LDRS understands North Devon is also the first council to write directly to residents eligible for pension credit but currently not claiming.

This amounts to 280 people in the district.

Most district and borough councils in Devon have launched publicity campaigns to encourage take-up of the benefit.

Update 24 October 2024: An earlier version of this article suggested that pensioners could apply for £200 for winter fuel help. The article was amended to make clear that a specific amount was not mentioned.

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