If someone you know or are working with is in debt to their energy supplier, they could apply for a grant to help pay it off.
Many energy suppliers offer grants to help their customers, but most will require you to seek money advice before making any award. If you are aware of someone struggling with energy bills, please encourage them to seek help before the winter months!
Fife residents can receive free, impartial and confidential advice on their energy debt by contacting:
Cosy Kingdom: Contact Us – Cosy Kingdom
or
Citizens Advice & Rights Fife: Home | CARF Money Advice (cabfife.org.uk)
Both of the above services can assist you with applications for any energy grants or discounts you may be eligible for. Many of these schemes are time limited and dependant on individual circumstances so speak to an adviser about what is available to you.
Audit Scotland has published a report on the extent of digital exclusion across Scotland highlighted in a previous poverty update. One statistic within that report is that only 8.3% of eligible households take up social tariffs which can help save money on phone and broadband costs. Help to get more people benefitting from these - more info below
Information on Social tariffs is included on the Our Fife website: Support with heating & utility costs | Cost of Living Support (fife.scot)
If you wish to read the report in full, click the link below:
Tackling digital exclusion | Audit Scotland
Fife Council's Cowdenbeath Area Welfare Team have been partnered with the National Databank, providing free SIM cards to their clients within the community facing hardship. This supports clients in fulfilling their claimant commitment, job search, make vital calls to services and keep in touch with their support networks. It helps mitigate digital exclusion where finance is a barrier and has a significant benefit to clients they are working with.
If you'd like to find out more about joining the National Databank, check out their website: What Is The National Databank | Free Mobile Data For Digital Inclusion | Good Things Foundation
This week a campaign has launched to encourage Fife residents to check and claim for any entitlement to Pension Credit. Fife Council are writing to 417 Fife households that have been identified as potentially missing out on their entitlement. There will be social media activity and press releases in an effort to reach as many people as possible who are over State Retirement Age.
We are conveying the message to check and claim any entitlement before the 22nd September in order to secure at least a £200 fuel payment in addition to any Pension Credit awarded.
Our data shows these 417 pensioners are not claiming more than £92k a month Pension Credit between them. Underclaiming amount for Winter Fuel Payment alone is at least £83,400. Will be more due to an additional £100 for those 80 years old or over.
More information on the campaign and Pension Credit can be found on the website,
Winter Fuel Payment & Pension Age Winter Heating Payment | Cost of Living Support (fife.scot)
Pension Credit | Cost of Living Support (fife.scot)
A report from the Scottish Health Equity Research Unit (SHERU), a new think tank established by the Fraser of Allander Institute and Strathclyde University's Centre for Health Policy, has warned of a "critical gap" in data providing evidence for the effectiveness of Scottish Government anti-poverty interventions, such as the Scottish Child Payment.
Key information, SHERU says, is "either missing or not detailed enough to show the real impact" of these policies on inequality.
The report it refers to IS State of the Nation (fraserofallander.org)
When it comes to tackling poverty and improving health, cash transfers are often seen as a straightforward solution. But do they really work? Two recent studies from the U.S. set out to answer this question—and came to some surprisingly different conclusions. So, what does this mean for Scotland’s efforts to reduce health inequalities?
Kat Smith Cash transfer studies v1 (fraserofallander.org)
Cosy Kingdom is a free and impartial energy and debt advice service available to all tenants and homeowners across Fife.
They are working with SGN & The Community Heating Project CIC to help vulnerable homeowners stay safe and warm at home by carrying out a free service of their gas boilers.
To be eligible you must:
Link below to find out more
Safe and Warm Servicing – Cosy Kingdom
Email: sheena.watson@fife.gov.uk
