Charity urges pensioners to take up winter grants

A charity is urging pensioners to take up an offer of financial help to get them through the winter.

Age UK said it would help eligible people apply for the grants from Kent County Council (KCC) of £200 in vouchers for food and energy.

The local authority is offering 2,000 awards in a scheme it launched in October, but so far only 500 applications have been made.

KCC's Just Missing Out scheme aims to help those who no longer qualify for the government's winter fuel allowance after the the rules were changed but who are still struggling financially.

Lesley Nowell Hitchcock, chief officer at Age UK Sheppey, said it wants to make sure it is supporting pensioners "in every way."

She said: "We do have a mixture of clients. Some are quite affluent and possibly won't receive the payment.

"We've also got people that are in receipt of winter fuel allowance, but I know we have got people that are on that borderline.

"Our information advice service will be able to help them with an application."

KCC leader Roger Gough said the authority was doing all it could to promote the scheme.

"I think it's so far proven quite difficult to reach the people who are probably going to most benefit from this," he said.

"We're putting out physical leaflets in centres like libraries so that people who go there are aware, and working with our partners, district and borough councils and others.

"We will continue to redouble our work."

The scheme is being financed through the Household Support Fund, money given by central government to local authorities to help people through the cost of living crisis.

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