Applications have today reopened to a cost of living hardship fund, which has already helped hundreds of households in greatest need in the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead.
The council has been working closely with 18 frontline community partners to offer a range of support to residents who are struggling financially and having to make very difficult choices around household expenditure, such as food, rent, energy or other essentials.
Now the council has secured a further £587,905.21 from the DWP Household Support Fund and is working with those partners to identify residents in severe financial hardship to receive a cash payment of £145.
Residents should contact one of the community partners to be put forward for support, you cannot apply directly to the council. People who received a payment under the previous round of this fund, which closed in March 2024, can now reapply by contacting the community partner which put them forward before.
Contact details for the community partners can be found at https://rbwmtogether.rbwm.gov.uk/household-support-fund This latest round of funding remains open until 30 September 2024, or until the money is fully distributed, with payments made to eligible residents on a first-come-first-served basis.
Those facing difficult decisions around household essentials are also encouraged to visit the council’s ‘Here to Help’ webpages at https://rbwmtogether.rbwm.gov.uk/hub-page/here-to-help to see what wider help might be available and check the free benefits calculator at www.entitledto.co.uk to see whether you could be missing out on national assistance.
The council’s Financial Inclusion Team can also help residents to maximise their income. If you would like to discuss your income with a dedicated officer, please email financial.inclusion@rbwm.gov.uk and an appointment can be arranged.
For those in need who don’t have online access, you can still call 01628 683800 or visit the webpages using the public-access computers at libraries, or speak with a librarian about getting online.
Councillor Catherine del Campo, Cabinet member for adults, health and housing services, said: “We know the cost of living remains high and it’s really important residents continue to reach out for support if they are struggling. The cost of living has impacted everyone, and I’m really pleased we’ve secured further funding for the £145 payments, to help make a difference for those in severe financial hardship.
“Our ongoing partnership with the community organisations has been vital in ensuring residents in need can access a wider range of support, and has already helped so many people we know have been struggling, including families, older people and care leavers. Together, we’ve helped 2,821 residents through our partnership since 2021 – 1,959 vulnerable residents since last summer alone.”
Councillor Joshua Reynolds, Cabinet member for communities and leisure, added: “Working with our fabulous community partners, we’ve been able to identify those in greatest need to ensure the limited government funding has had the greatest impact, alongside connecting people to wider wraparound support related to food, debt relief, council tax support, housing support, benefits, and wellbeing support.
“These are challenging circumstances for all residents, and we want to ensure that everyone has the financial resilience to cope. If you’re struggling financially and facing difficult decisions then please contact Citizens Advice East Berkshire, or our other partners, and you can also check our ‘Here to Help’ web pages to explore cost of living support before you reach crisis point.”