Details of the Council’s support package for those struggling with the cost-of-living this winter, including enhanced support for pensioners, have been announced.
The Council spends over £30million a year on helping those facing hardship and poverty, including the £6.5m awarded through the Government’s Household Support Fund to target support for those most in need of help to pay for energy and water, food or other essentials up to April 2025.
This will supplement the Council’s wider ongoing work to support residents at risk from the cost of living and address poverty. Residents struggling with costs and wanting to find out more about the range of support available are encouraged to contact the Cost of Living Advice Line on freephone 0800 0232692 between 9am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday.
Find more information about support Or Text on 07860 022876.
The new scheme is designed to provide help for those facing the greatest challenges, with payments being made from November.
Pensioners
Under the new scheme, pensioners who are not in receipt of pension credits – and therefore will not receive the winter fuel payment – but need support will be eligible for payments of £150, or £200 if they are aged 80 or over.
The Council does not have access to the names and addresses of pensioners in Manchester who will not get the winter fuel payment as this data is held nationally.
But using its own records it has identified almost 5,000 households where pensioners live who receive Council Tax Support or Housing Benefit but are not qualified for winter fuel payments. These households will automatically receive direct payments from the Council – £150 for an estimated 3,918 households and £200 for 858 households. People in this category do not need to do anything – payments will be made directly to their bank accounts where the Council has these details, or in Post Office Vouchers.
On top of this, the Council is expanding its existing welfare provision scheme with a hardship fund specifically for pensioners who are in-need and will not receive the winter fuel payment but have not been identified for the automatic payment. Again those aged 66-79 will be eligible for £150 payments and those 80 or over for £200.
Referrals will be made via the Cost of Living Advice Line.
At the same time, the Council is stepping up its campaign to encourage pensioners to check whether they are entitled to pension credits – and if so to claim them. It is estimated that more than 8,000 eligible older people in Manchester are not claiming the credits, perhaps because they feel there is a stigma attached to it. An estimated £24m a year in Pension Credit and associated benefits goes unclaimed in the city.
Pension Credit is an important benefit because it opens up eligibility for social tariffs, the Warm House Discount, cheaper broadband, free TV licenses, lower water bills and now the Winter Fuel Payment.
The Council is promoting uptake of pension credits through a wide range of channels, from social media, outdoor advertising and flyers to more innovative direct measures such as working with city pharmacists who have agreed to attach prescription-style flyers advertising Manchester’s Cost of Living Advice Line to medication bags for delivery. Opticians and supermarkets are also being asked to spread the word.
The campaign is designed to reach not just pensioners themselves but also their families who will be able to help them check their entitlement or make a claim.
This is part of a landmark package of support for people in need of all ages, and other targeted support includes:
People with disabilities
All low income Manchester households in receipt of Council Tax Support where at least one person gets disability benefits will get an automatic payment of £100. An estimated 21,437 households across the city are expected to benefit from this.
Care leavers
£10 per week will be paid to around 350 care leavers living in their own tenancies.
Families with children
Families with children who are eligible for free school meals during term time will receive payments for each eligible child of £15 for the autumn half-term, £30 for the Christmas holiday period and £15 for the spring 2025 half-term to prevent holiday hunger. This will support around 44,000 children, with payments distributed via Manchester schools.
A further £190,000 will also be allocated to the Council’s Holiday Activity Fund (HAF) to provide free activities for children during the autumn and spring 2025 half-terms. This is in addition to HAF funding already in place for the main school holidays.
Other support
£200,000 will be allocated to voluntary and community sector organisations working in the city to help ensure that harder to reach people are supported.
A further £20,000 will be added to funding for the Council’s existing welfare support scheme, which provides grants for those facing hardship.
Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said:
“We know as we approach winter that the cost-of-living crisis hasn’t gone away and as a Council we will be doing everything this winter to support those struggling or facing hardship. We will be targeting support at those who need it most, but also continuing with our cost of living advice line open to anyone.
“The message is clear, if you are struggling this winter, please contact us and we will support you.
“In addition to our work with children and families, people with disabilities and carers, we are expending our targeted support to older people who may face hardship this winter using money through the Government’s Household Support Fund.
“Targeted payments will make a real difference to tens of thousands of Manchester people who are struggling with cost of living pressures. This additional support scheme has been designed to reach those who need it most this winter, including pensioners and will sit alongside the council’s major campaign to make sure we increase the number of people receiving pension credits and extra support. We are writing to those we think should be eligible and I’m urging as many people to sign up – this is money you are entitled to after decades of hard work and paying into the system.
“Our Cost of Living Advice Line is open to anyone living in the City of Manchester and we can offer support and signpost you to the help available.
“Our council is committed to tackling poverty in the long term – it’s why we spend over £30m a year. As we look forward to working with the Government on this crucial task, there is shorter-term help available for Mancunians who need it now.”
