Middlesbrough Council’s Executive will be asked to approve plans to allocate payments from the Household Support Fund (HSF), using money provided by central government.
The payments are designed to help pensioners with their energy costs as bills rise during the colder months.
Who would the payments be for?
It’s proposed that pensioners who receive Council Tax Reduction or Attendance Allowance, who are aged 80 and over as of this September and no longer qualify for the national payment, would receive £300 per household.
Those aged 66-79 would receive £200.
These are the same amounts they would have received from the government before changes to eligibility.
The payments for pensioners are part of a wider Council plan for how its latest allocation of over £2.9m from the HSF will be spent.
Comment by Cllr Walker
Cllr Nicky Walker, Executive member for Finance, said: “The overall plan is designed to support the town’s most vulnerable residents and low-income families.
“We were able to provide payments to pensioners affected last winter that were a little less, but I wanted us to go further this year, and we now plan to provide the full £300 or £200 payment to those lower-income or disabled pensioners that would have received the Winter Fuel Payment previously.
“I’m aware of many older people who have worked their whole lives but miss out on the Winter Fuel Payment and other benefits due to relatively small work pensions or savings.
“We want to try and bridge that gap, as far as possible, using funding provided by central government, so we can continue to help people with their energy costs.”
Other pensioners on relatively low incomes, who may miss out on all benefits due to their financial circumstances, may still qualify for a payment of £100.
Those on the lowest incomes, such as Pension Credit, who remain entitled to the Winter Fuel Payment, could also receive £50 from the Council in addition to the government’s payment.
More than £1.2m from the fund will cover £60 payments for children on income-related free school meals in both July and December.
Other elements are targeted at different age groups, including those not on benefits. Some payments will be made automatically, while others will involve an application process.
Cllr Walker and other members of the Executive will be asked to approve the scheme on Wednesday May 14.
Full information will be provided should the proposals be approved.
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