 Lost your Winter Fuel Payment? You could get help
Pensioners who are no longer eligible for Winter Fuel Payments and are still struggling with energy costs can get help through the Household Support Fund.
These £120 payments are also eligible for carers and households with people with disabilities this winter.
All other households can get a £60 grant if they are struggling to pay for food, energy or other essentials. Payments are also available for families where children receive means-tested free school meals.
Payments are already being made automatically to anyone who is struggling, who received a Household Support Grant between April and September 2024. These are paid six months after the last payments.
If you’ve not applied before, you can do so using the button below.
Pension Credit
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. You can can check your eligibility and calculate how much you could get on the Government's website.
 Helping future generations to stay local
We know it’s vital to secure a high quality of life for our children and grandchildren, and not just build places for them to live.
That’s why the final draft of our new Local Plan sets ambitious targets for the provision of affordable housing, beyond what national planning policy expects.
We’re expecting 40 per cent at major developments – and new affordable homes would be required on developments of five or more homes, so more residents can remain local.
Additionally, the plan would require all kinds of new development to be zero-carbon where achievable, or as near as possible if it isn’t. By requiring more energy efficient housing, we can help to reduce residents’ living costs.
This, combined with measures to promote walking and cycling, will support our efforts to address the climate emergency.
To learn more about how the new Local Plan could benefit our communities, and how we’re working towards adopting it, visit our Engage Wokingham Borough page.
 What do young people think of living here?
We’re seeking views of 11 to 19-year-olds to understand how they feel about life in the borough in a ‘Youth Future Focus’ survey, covering a range of topics including wellbeing, safety, leisure, support networks and worries and concerns.
Results will feed into the Wokingham Youth Offer Needs Assessment which will identify what is available for young people in the borough and where there are any gaps. We want to understand what services and opportunities young people want to have access to.
The survey is open to those aged 11 to 19, or 24 for those with special educational needs and disabilities, until Friday (25 October). Share this survey link with young people you know so they can have their say.
It has been jointly developed by us, Berkshire Youth and the Children and Young People’s Partnership. We’re also working with local schools, local groups and alternative provisions to make sure that as many young people get the opportunity to have their voice heard as possible.
An in-person event will be taking place later this year. If you have a young person who would like to attend, have any questions about the project or survey or need an Easy Read version, email YouthVoice@wokingham.gov.uk
 New shops and more to serve growing community
We've received a detailed planning application for a neighbourhood centre in the Hogwood Farm area, now being redeveloped as Finchwood Park in Arborfield Green.
This will provide two ground-floor shop units to serve new residents and will have 18 one and two-bedroom apartments, all affordable, on the floors above.
It will be set back from the road to provide a landscaped village square with scope to accommodate outdoor seating or host community events, including markets.
It will be located on land to the south and west of Nine Mile Ride Extension, and next to a plot where a primary school is set to be provided in due course.
Outline planning permission for the scheme has already been granted as part of a wider application for up to 1,500 new homes and related amenities.
 Join Black History Month webinar
October is Black History Month which gives everyone the opportunity to share, celebrate and understand the impact of black heritage and culture.
This year the focus is on correcting historical inaccuracies and showcasing the untold success stories, contributions and achievements from past and current black individuals with the theme ‘Reclaiming Narratives’.
In Wokingham Borough, we will beexploring the theme at a webinar on Monday (28 October) at 5.30pm, featuring members of the borough’s Equality Forum and guest speakers.
This will be a chance for everybody in the community to learn more about the theme and join in the discussion. Anybody wanting to join the discussion should email inclusion.team@wokingham.gov.uk, for an invite to join.
We've supported the setting up of an independent Equality Forum, which is community-led, and provides representatives from local groups with a platform to discuss the needs and aspirations of their communities and shape our services.
Email our Equality Forum inbox equalityforum@wokingham.gov.uk to find out more.
What you might have missed
- Don’t forget you can download the Scrapp app to set up push notifications on your phone to remind you which waste or recycling to put out on which day. Scrapp is available to download for Apple and Android devices
- There’s a free family event at Lower Earley Library on Monday (28 October) from 10am to 12 noon. Activities, quizzes, refreshments and more will be available
- If you work in procurement, social care, quantity surveying, finance management or HR – we’ve got new roles now advertised on our jobs board
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