Category: winter fuel grant

Winter fuel grant opens 25 January

The winter fuel grant programme opens next week at 10am on Wednesday 25 January.

It offers a one-off, non-repayable grant of £200 to help UNIONS’s most vulnerable low-income members and to help ease the worry of paying for their next fuel bill during the coldest months of the year.

UNISON understands the financial hardship many members are facing – struggling to make ends meet, particularly with RPI inflation still running at 14% as of the end of November, and energy usage generally at its highest over January and February.

Last year, the charity raised over £1m with its energy support appeal in order to support members through the unprecedented upturn in the cost of energy bills and two phases of grants from the resulting fund provided thousands of members with support. A third phase is due to be announced in the coming months.

The winter fuel grant programme will only be open to those who have not received a grant from the charity since 31 July 2022.

The grant programme is limited to 2,000 applicants and will close once the maximum number of applications has been received.

Winter fuel grant 2023?eligibility?? 

Applicants must:?? 

  • be a UNISON member?and have paid at least four weeks’ subscriptions as of 25th January. Subscriptions must be up to date;
  • not have been a successful recipient of our recent energy support fund grant;?? 
  • not have received a grant from UNISON Welfare since 31 July 2022, excluding the school clothing grant; ? 
  • not have received more than £750 in UNISON Welfare grants if applying within first?year of membership;??? 
  • have savings (including the total rolling balance on current accounts) below £1,000 to qualify.;?? 
  • must be responsible (or their partner, if applicable) for household fuel bills. Only one application per household will be considered.?? 

And either …

?Be on a low income, meaning:?? 

  • for a single person (living alone with no dependent children): Net household income* of no more than £18,200/year (£1,516.67/month);
  • living with a partner (living with no dependent children): Net household income* of no more than £26,000/year (£2,166.67/month);? 
  • for a single person (living alone with dependent children): Net household income* of no more than £26,000/year (£2,166.67/month);?? 
  • living with a partner (living with dependent children): Net household income* of no more than £26,000/year (£2,166.67/month).?

* Net household income includes your monthly take-home pay from work (plus your partner’s if applicable), any income from child maintenance payments, any income from student finance loans or bursaries, pensions (excluding pension credit) and any income from people living with you (for instance, adult children or lodgers). 

or …?

Be in receipt of means-tested benefits. These include:

    • universal credit;
    • housing benefit;
    • child and/or?working tax credits;
    • pension credit;
    • means-tested jobseekers’ allowance;
    • means-tested employment support allowance;
    • income support.

The article Winter fuel grant opens 25 January first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Help There for You raise £1m to fight energy bills

In response to the unprecedented surge in the cost of energy bills, UNISON’s charity, There for You, is calling on branches to donate to its energy support fund. The union aims to raise £1m by the end of September.

The money will be used to support members over the winter months. The union anticipates there will be high demand for support. Earlier this year, There for You’s annual winter fuel grant was increased by 50% and yet the fund was still over-subscribed in a matter of days.

With Ofgem recently announcing the new price cap, average annual energy bills are expected to reach £3,549 from 1 October. This is an increase of around 80% on average bills, which means a home using a typical amount of energy will pay nearly £300 a month from October. Prices will be even higher for low-income households using prepayment meters.

The price cap is likely to hit £5,386 by January and £6,600 in April.

So far branches from Dorset to the Orkneys – and everywhere in between – have been donating, but a final push is needed over the next month to make sure the charity can provide the help that UNISON members so desperately need.

Anything branches donate will be gratefully received and will continue to improve the lives of UNISON members and their families through these unprecedented, challenging times.

To donate from your branch, please fill in the form found here:

Branch donation form

Or individuals can also donate here:

Donate to the fund

The article Help There for You raise £1m to fight energy bills first appeared on the UNISON National site.