Winter payment scheme extended by City of Inverness Area Committee

The new Highland Council City of Inverness Area Committee is to examine further ways of extending the Inverness Common Good Fund winter payment scheme to ensure that more people in most need of financial support to buy fuel qualify for the one-off £37 payment.

To qualify, claimants need to be in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee Credit; Income Support; Income-based Jobseekers Allowance or Income-based Employment Support Allowance and someone in the household is entitled to Attendance Allowance or Disability Allowance.  No residents in the household should be in receipt of a wage either at the time of the claim or in the previous 6 months or have capital (savings) of more than £6,000.

This year, the scheme is being extended to all those on Pension Credit Guarantee, without the requirement to have a disability benefit.
On top of this, some claimants, who live in accommodation that would benefit from more efficient energy provision, will also qualify for a one-off payment of £31.

In winter 2011/12, a total of £13,036 was paid out to claimants, with a further £5,244 distributed in May 2012.

Councillor Ian Brown, Leader of the City of Inverness Area Committee, said: “The winter payments scheme is designed to benefit those members of our community who are most in need of financial support during the winter, when extra fuel in needed.  This was the original intention of what was called “Provost’s Coal Fund”.

“We have agreed to implement the extended scheme as well as examine the scope for allowing more older people to benefit.”
The Committee also agreed to donate £5,000 to the Blythswood Care Food Hamper Scheme in recognition of the increasing demands being placed on the scheme and in view of the valuable life-line that food hampers provide to families in times of extreme need.

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