An improved approach to regeneration featuring Sheffield City Council, the community, partners and investors will see work towards physical, social and economic improvements take place across Gleadless Valley.
‘Cost of Living’ help available this year from Sheffield City Council – and how to check for unclaimed support
Help is available to support people through the financial challenges of winter, and residents are being urged to claim all they are entitled to.
Sheffield City Council’s Cost of Living Hub has been delivering cross-cutting support at a neighbourhood level and providing proactive advice and guidance around this issue for the past three years.
This has had positive outcomes for our communities. Now, the Council is looking at how support opportunities can be spread more comprehensively across the city. Today’s (Wednesday 11th December) Strategy & Resources Committee approved a study to look into this further.
If you are struggling with financial pressures this winter, you can:
- Call the Community Support Helpline, which will once again be available to deal with immediate need for support in crisis situations, including those with no food or energy. You can call our Community Helpline on 0114 273 4567
- Find out more information on Cost of Living Support and what support you may be eligible for by heading to the Council website
- Finding advice on how to deal with rising fuel costs this winter, by again heading to the Council website
A starting point is ensuring all those who are entitled to support are claiming it to ease financial pressures on their households.
At the same time as financial pressures continue to increase, the amount of unclaimed support is following the same trend. Nationally, £22.7 billion of support is unclaimed; and this is estimated to equal around £230 million in Sheffield alone.
There has been excellent support from the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector, and the Council will continue to work alongside partners to increase the support from existing successful programs.
One example of this is the Welcome Places scheme. 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.
You can find a map of Welcome Places here.
These have so far been successful as they have been delivered alongside the VCFSE sector. By building on this program, there is an opportunity to continue to support:
- Poverty and cost of living
- Inclusive and welcoming services
- Supporting communities who are new to the city, including, but not limited to, asylum seekers and refugees
Since this summer (2024), the Council has also worked in partnership with Citizens Advice Sheffield to develop a joint campaign to increase the take-up of Pension Credit. This campaign reached around 7,250 low-income households directly and many more through other communications channels. The Council and partners provided information around eligibility, how to apply and where to seek support.
There has also been national recognition for the Council’s Free School Meals Auto Award process, which since 2015-2016 has increased eligibility to free school meals and maximised Pupil Premium funding for academies and maintained schools.
The Council writes to parents with children aged two-to-19 on matching housing/council tax support benefits to advise them and ensure they are claiming everything they are entitled to.
If they do not object, they are immediately awarded transitionally protected free school meals and Pupil Premium funding is generated for their schools to benefit their education.
Between 2016 and 2024, this has generated an additional £4.1m for schools to provide targeted support to improve the life chances of disadvantaged children and young people.
The national recognition has seen many other local authorities follow suit.
Cllr Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council and Chair of the Council’s Strategy & Resources Committee, said:
“Winter can be a tough time for people who are struggling with the cost of everyday essentials. Help is available and our message for anyone who is struggling is to contact the Council.
“We know that lots of people aren’t receiving the support they are entitled to. So please get in touch and we can provide advice and financial help.
“If you have family members, friends or neighbours who are struggling please encourage them to contact us also.”
There is support already available to people through the existing Winter Plan.
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.
As this is a continually evolving project, look out for updates on support available from the Sheffield City Council social media channels. You can read the latest full Cost of Living report here.
