Useful links, tips and pointers on where and how to find cost of living support across the city.
Cost of LIving Support logo

Our city should be a place where everyone has the chance of a decent and secure life. Instead, too many people – many from working families – are struggling to meet their needs.

Financial hardship means not being able to heat your home, pay your rent, or buy the essentials for your children. It means waking up every day facing insecurity, uncertainty and impossible decisions about money. It means facing marginalisation – and even discrimination – because of financial circumstances.

The constant stress it causes can overwhelm people, affecting them emotionally and depriving them of the chance to play a full part in society.

The strategy document in the downloads section contains a set of proposals we hope will inspire, encourage and support action across the city. 

Please view below useful links, tips and pointers on where and how to find support across the city:

Pension Credit

Are you worried about losing the winter fuel payment and paying your heating bills over the colder months? Then here’s the latest information and steps you can take to see if you qualify for Pension Credit or other support.

The government has identified as many as 880,000 pensioner households are missing out on pension credit with the average underclaim understood to be worth £3,600 per year.

As it stands to be eligible for this year’s winter fuel payment you must be entitled to pension credit and you must have made your claim for pension credit by December 21, 2024.

Eligibility and applying

  • If you are over State Pension Age and have a low income you could be eligible for pension credit and receive the winter fuel payment, even if you own your home or have savings.
  • You need to apply without delay, request a backdate of any potential award when you apply (as it will not be done automatically) and demonstrate you were entitled to it during the period of the qualifying week, which was 16 -22 September 2024. 
  • The maximum amount of time a backdate can be applied is three months, so applicants must have claimed pension credit on any day up to and including 21 December 2024.
  • Getting pension credit can provide a passport to help with things like rent, council tax, cold weather payments and a free TV licence for people aged 75 and over.

Make a claim

To make a claim or to find out how much Pension Credit you might receive call 0800 99 1234 or visit gov.uk/pensioncredit

Support 

If you:

  • need help making a claim
  • want to talk to someone about your potential Pension Credit entitlement
  • want to see if there are any other benefits you could be missing out on

then please call 01902 555351, email wrs.benefitshelpline@wolverhampton.gov.uk or visit one of our Customer Service Access Points.

You can also contact:

Holiday Activities and Food Programme

The Holiday Activities and Food Programme provides eligible children and young people with free holiday activities and food in the long school holidays.

For more information and to view the events available please visit yowolves.co.uk.

Visit Yo Wolves

Energy bills
Kuppa

Free new digital tool, Kuppa, which could help you save money on your energy bills by making your home more energy efficient

LEAP

LEAP is a free service that is helping people keep warm and reduce their energy bills without costing them any money. It could help if you have no heating, have inefficient white goods or just need some advice on using less energy.

Read more...

Businesses
Broadband & Social Tariffs

Broadband

As more households have been affected by the rising cost of living and energy prices, are you struggling to pay for broadband?

If you’re on benefits, you can access cheaper broadband packages starting at £12.  For more information please visit, Cheaper broadband and phone packages - Ofcom or Discounted 'social tariffs' for those on certain benefits (moneysavingexpert.com).
 
The City of Wolverhampton is committed to ensuring all residents have access to devices and connectivity to benefit from digital by getting online to improve their life chances.

If you’re not already online as you don’t have a device or connectivity, Wolves Online is a device and connectivity lending scheme available to Wolverhampton residents to help you get online and stay connected. We work with a network of 50 trusted partners and can lend chrome books or tablets and connectivity through a MiFi and Sim card for 3 months. Our trusted partner network can help you get online and improve your digital skills.  For more information please visit Get Online | Digital Wolves.

Social Tariffs

Residents who are facing difficulties affording broadband and mobile phone bills in the cost-of-living crisis are being urged to make the most of social tariffs and get connected for less.

The tariffs, offered by most major providers, provide home broadband and mobile connectivity at reduced prices for people in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit, starting from £12 a month.

Free SIM cards are also available via the National databank that are available from more than 1,700 local community across the UK.

Only 5.1 per cent of those eligible across the country are signed up to a social tariff. Eligibility varies by supplier, so it is recommended you get in touch with your current provider or check out OFCOM’s resources to see whether you are eligible and what tariffs are available.

More information about social tariffs can also be found at Get connected for less - wmca.org.uk.

To find a databank near you visit Good Things Foundation - Improving lives through digital.


This project is funded by the UK Government.

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