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Following last week’s cold snap, where it felt like winter was already here, we’ve made this week’s cost of living help newsletter a special edition focused on being ready for the coldest months of the year.
Here's some tips and advice on how you can be ready.
Stop in at Residents' Reception to get support
We’re working with charity partners to bring help direct to communities with new Residents' Reception sessions.
The aim is to provide you with advice on a range of subjects at a regular venue and time each month. A full list of services you can get help with are on our website.
Swallowfield will host the first of these sessions at the parish hall (RG7 1QW) on Thursday (19 September from 10am to 1pm). These will continue to be held at the same location on the third Thursday of the month. Other sessions will be held at:
- Woodley Library, Headley Road (RG5 4JA) starting on 3 October and held on the first Thursday of the month, from 10am to 1pm
- Wokingham Without (starting date and venue to be confirmed) to be held on the second Thursday of the month, from 10am to 1pm
- Arborfield Green Community Centre, Princess Marina Drive (RG2 9NN) starting on 26 September and held on the fourth Thursday of the month, from 10am to 1pm
Sessions will involve our Adult Social Care and Community Engagement teams. There will also be help available from Citizens Advice Wokingham, The Cowshed, First Days Children's Charity, Involve and Community Wellness Outreach Wokingham.
Get your property ready for the cold months
The Government's advice to get your home ready for winter is:
- Turn down radiators in rooms you aren’t using to save up to £40 a year
- Bleed your radiators
- Get your boiler serviced
- Reduce your hot water tank temperature to 60°C to save up to £10 per year
- Find and fix draughts to save up to £40 a year
They also have advice for year-round changes you can make to help you save more than £250 in bills and other costs.
Calculate your Pension Credit allowance
Did you know almost 900,000 pensioners nationally are missing out on financial support they’re entitled to?
This includes hundreds of Wokingham Borough residents who are not taking up their extra money through Pension Credit. The average claim is worth £3,900 per year.
If you’re eligible, it mean you’ll also receive the Winter Fuel Payment, which is no longer being automatically paid following a Government announcement in July.
If you’re pension age, you can check your eligibility using the button below. If you have neighbour or relatives who are not online, you could take them through it.
Tax-free childcare could help you
The Government provides a number of support schemes to help families pay for childcare costs.
The Government's Childcare Choices website has a range of information about different offers and entitlements, including:
- Tax-free childcare
- 15 hours free childcare for eligible two-year-olds
- 15 hours free childcare for three and four-year-olds
- 30 hours free childcare for working families with three and four-year-olds
- Tax credits for childcare
- Universal Credit for childcare
Warm Home Discount restarts in October
The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a one-off £150 discount off your electricity bill.
If you’re eligible, your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill. The money is not paid to you.
You qualify if you either:
You can check the full Warm Home Discount eligibility criteria on the Government website.
Reduce your Council Tax costs
Your income situation may have changed in recent months. If the amount of money you take home has gone down, you may want to check if you could get a Council Tax reduction.
This is where you pay a reduced rate due to having a lower income and/or receive certain benefits.
Income bands for a reduction can be seen people of working age, with different criteria for people of pension age.
Household Support Fund
There’s only a few days left to apply for the current round of the Household Support Fund, which closes at the end of the month.
You can get up to £140, depending on your situation, if you’re struggling with food, bills and other essential costs.
If you've had support from this fund since April 2024, do not apply again. We'll have more information on the new round for this winter soon.
Check entitlements and make a budget
Citizens Advice has online tools which can help you manage, and get more, money. Try out the:
Guide you through your options
And if you’re not sure where to start if you’re worried about the coming winter, our guides based on your situation could help:
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