Additional cost of living support for Sheffield residents in need over winter

Support for residents over the winter period

Sheffield City Council have confirmed they will be providing extra funding to support communities with the cost of living through the winter months.

As the weather gets colder, more people struggle to heat their homes due to rising gas and electric bills. This can also make affording every-day-essentials like food, more difficult.

That is why during the winter period it is important to offer more support to local communities, which the Council is addressing in their Winter Plan.

The Plan will see a boost in support for services like Welcome Places, and will put money back in the pockets of local residents who need it most, through additional grant funding.

Councillor Richard Williams, Chair of the Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee, at Sheffield City Council, said: “We want to make sure that anyone in the local community that might be struggling is supported through these harsh winter months. That includes putting cash in pockets for essentials like food, gas and electricity.

“80% of the people that apply for extra help through our funding grants are families with children, and I certainly don’t want to see any of our Sheffield residents cold or hungry this winter.

“We are also bolstering efforts to support our Welcome Places across the city, and our Citizen’s Advice Services also, so everyone has somewhere to turn if in need.”

As part of the support package, an additional £660,000 is to be made available to local people through the Household Support Fund – a non-repayable grant to help people living in Sheffield with food and energy costs.

More about the Household Support Fund here.

The Council will also be providing more funding for Citizens Advice Services with an additional £169,000 to expand their city-wide freephone advice line and to increase face-to-face support over the next few months.

The Council is also supporting a network of Welcome Places across the city. These are spaces that people can not only come to find warmth, feel safe and welcome, but also to find support, should they need it.

Councillor Williams added: “We are currently working with organisations across the city, including voluntary, community and faith organisations, who provide Welcome Places, to help them provide support for their local communities throughout the winter months.”

You can find a map of Welcome Places here.

Over the Christmas period, the Community Support Helpline will also be available to deal with immediate need for support in crisis situations, including those with no food or energy.

Call our Community Helpline: 0114 273 4567

Find out more about cost-of-living support: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/cost-of-living