Rotherham Council’s Cabinet is set to approve a new wave of energy crisis grants for residents to support them with their energy bills through the Winter.
Over the last 2 years the Council has administered more than £2.8 million of crisis grants to over 13,000* thousand residents who were facing real hardship as a result of high energy bills.
The funding will be allocated from the Council’s Covid Recovery Fund with a total of £550,000 of funding available to support 2,200 grants across the borough.
The funding is not intended to be means tested and residents do not need to be claiming benefits in order to be eligible, but claimants will be asked to demonstrate the acute hardship being caused to them by their energy bills and would ordinarily need to demonstrate a bank balance of less than £150.
If approved by Cabinet, the fund will be available between January and March 2024 and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The Council can use the money to make payments directly to energy companies where this is most appropriate.
Claimants benefiting from the crisis grants may also be helped by the Council’s Employment Solutions team who can assist with debt, benefits and access to employment.
Rotherham Council’s Leader, Cllr Chris Read, said: “As the cost of living crisis continues this winter and energy bills remain very high, we want to continue to support our residents through another difficult period. This is cash that we put aside during the pandemic to prepare for the challenges that lay ahead and for many of our families the challenge of big utility bills is their biggest concern. By using the Council’s remaining balance from the Covid Recovery Fund now, we will be able to support those most in need, helping to prevent them from falling into further unaffordable debts, pre-payment metres from running out of credit, and families having to live in cold, unsafe conditions.”
If approved, £550,000 of funding will be made available to fund resources in the Council to ensure applications are processed as quickly as possible to ensure those successful can get access to money quickly.
The Energy Crisis Support Scheme was launched by the Council in 2022 as part of the Council’s Covid Recovery Fund. It has formed part of the £27 million package administered by the Council to support residents through the cost of living crisis, which has also included support with council tax bills, extra support for care leavers and the Open Arms support and advice network.
Further information about funding, advice and support during the cost of living crisis can be found online at www.rotherham.gov.uk/money-matters.
* This includes the previous energy payments and the pensions payment for household costs - both were funded from HSF and Covid Recovery Fund.
