People in one part of Merseyside could receive a one-off payment of £157 to help deal with the escalating cost-of-living crisis.
Pensioners in Wirral who qualify for additional financial support could receive the money to offset the rise in energy bills heading into the winter. This payment – which will be made by Post Office ‘Payout’ voucher - is being provided from a £3m grant that Wirral Council obtained from the government through the Household Support Fund and is aimed at helping the most vulnerable pensioners in the borough.
Only residents who are over 65 and in receipt of Pension Credit (Guaranteed Credit) are eligible to receive this support. The council has written to all residents they believe qualify to receive this money with instructions of how to claim the voucher from their local Post Office.
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Each letter has a unique barcode so it is vital that residents take their letter – along with one acceptable form of photo identification (passport, driving licence, bus pass etc) – with them to the Post Office to speed up the processing of their payment voucher. Vouchers should be redeemed within three months of issue.
If an eligible resident is unable to get to a Post Office branch in person, they can ask a trusted friend or relative to collect on their behalf. They will be asked to show a letter of authority, naming them, and signed by the recipient along with photographic ID for both the claimant and their agent.
Wirral Council leader, Cllr Janette Williamson, said: “This winter coming up is going to be one of the hardest on record and it will affect almost every household in Wirral. It will be particularly hard for our most vulnerable pensioners, which is why this additional financial help through the Household Support Fund is to be welcomed and I urge everyone eligible to look out for the letter and claim their payment.
“This is just one part of the response needed to mitigate the impact of astronomical and unpalatable price rises on residents, which is why the council is leaving no stone unturned to support as many households as possible – and support other community groups and organisations to do the same.
“We have set up as Cost of Living Action Group to include partners from community groups and other local bodies that are already providing support in their neighbourhoods and we will look to ensure that services and assistance already being provided can be more strongly co-ordinated and more effectively delivered across the whole of Wirral.”
For residents who don’t qualify for this payment from the Household Support Fund, visit wirral.gov.uk/welfaresupport to see if you can get help from the financial support scheme or there might be community-based assistance on offer via www.wirralinfobank.co.uk.
