More than £1 million given to Peterborough residents to help deal with cost of living crisis

Tens of thousands of pounds worth of support has been given to Peterborough residents as the cost of living crisis continues to bite.

Peterborough City Council has revealed more than 16,000 people in the city have been given help to pay for food and energy bills so far this year – with vouchers worth £1.1 million given to residents.

Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, leader of Peterborough City Council, said support was still available for those who needed it as the city heads into autumn and winter. He said: “I want to assure everyone that there is lots of vital support available here in Peterborough. I am extremely proud of the work we have already done to help those in need, but we never rest on our laurels and will continue to provide support for as long as necessary.

“Our Household Support Fund which has already helped thousands of people will soon be extended and as part of this programme we will be setting up a network of community hubs where people can go come together, keep warm and get food and basic essentials. We’ll provide more details in the coming weeks.”

The council’s Household Support Fund (HSF) was launched in November to help people pay for food and energy bills. Since then, 16,343 people who are struggling have been helped, with the council issuing over £1.1 million in vouchers and a further £159K in non-voucher help. More details about the HSF can be found at https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/council/campaigns/support-with-the-cost-of-living/household-support-fund.

The council has also worked alongside Age UK and Citizens Advice Peterborough to issue Food and Fuel Voucher Applications for vulnerable households. In total 2,400 applications from vulnerable adults have been processed, allocating £133k as food or fuel support. The pensioner element of the scheme saw us receive 600 applications from and issue £84k in support.

There are a number of schemes specifically aimed at helping people who are struggling to pay their energy bills and provide support around heating and energy. The government’s Warmer Homes scheme is providing improvements to the homes of people who live in properties which are served by gas and have the lowest energy efficiency. To find out more visit www.warmerhomes.org.uk or call 0800 038 5737.

The council also offers support to residents through its Local Energy Advice Partnership (LEAP). This includes free of charge in-home energy support and advice including the installation of energy saving measures. Since April 2018 17,252 easy measures have been installed resulting in £1,427,674 in savings and overall since 2018 nearly £3million of total savings has been identified for Peterborough residents. You can apply for LEAP by visiting www.applyforleap.org.uk or calling 0800 060 7567.

Families whose children are receiving free school meals will continue to receive vouchers during the half term and Christmas holidays.

Vouchers of £10 per child per week will be available during the October half term and £30 per child per week during Christmas holidays and these will be sent directly. If you want to check if your child may be eligible, there are more details at https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/residents/schools-and-education/holiday-voucher-scheme

Further information about all our support schemes can be found at https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/council/campaigns/support-with-the-cost-of-living. For residents unable to access information online, please contacts the Council on 01733 747474.