Cost of living support guidance

What support is available?

Discount on your energy bills

In response to the significant rise in energy prices, the government announced in February that they would be issuing a £200 discount on energy bills for all bill-payers, repayable over the following months. Now, the government has increased the discount to £400 and removed the need to repay it.

The discount will be automatically deducted from bill payers’ usual payment method – either credited to the account of those paying through direct debit, or to the cards of those paying through a pre-pay method. Shared Lives carers and Householders, if they are bill payers in their household, will automatically qualify for this discount and you do not need to take any action.

Could you be eligible for an energy grant?

Billions of pounds go unclaimed each year, and there are several grants open to people with caring needs. When you apply for a grant, you’ll have to provide detailed information about your financial situation in your application.

For more information visit: www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk/grants

Winter Fuel Payments

Winter Fuel Payments were introduced by the government in order to help ensure that people born before 26/9/1956 could afford to keep warm over the winter. To apply either visit: www.gov.uk/winter-fuelpayment/how-to-claim 11 or it is possible in some circumstances for Shared Lives carers to contact their utility company direct and they may ask for evidence that the carer or the person they support are eligible.

To find out more information & check your eligibility for all Winter Fuel Payment Support, including Warm Home Discount & Cold Weather Payment please visit: www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-to-claim 11

Help from energy suppliers

Priority services register

All energy providers have a list called a “Priority Services Register” which can provide extra protections and adaptions for those caring for others.

You or a member of your household could be classed as “vulnerable” if you:

- Are disabled or have a long-term health condition

- Are recovering from an injury

- Have mental health problems

- Don’t speak or read English well

- Have children under 5 or are pregnant

- Have reached your State Pension age

The list of potential extra services is quite long and varies by energy supplier, but may include advance notice of power cuts, meter reading and priority support during emergencies.

If you think that you or your household might benefit from the Priority Services Register, start by contacting your supplier

If you are struggling with your bills

If at any time you find it difficult to keep up with energy bills, your supplier has a duty to help. You can ask your energy supplier for:

- A review of your payments or debt repayments

- Payment breaks or reductions

- More time to pay your bills

- Access to hardship funds

- Priority Service registration.

Get in touch with them early to make a plan together.

Is it worth changing energy supplier?

The easiest way to save money on energy historically has been to switch energy regularly to ensure you’re on a good deal.

To check if this is the best course of action for you, there are many energy supplier comparison sites such as USwitch who can help you decide.

Search for this on our website and you will find up to date information on what support is currently available to Shared Lives carers.

You can read about our Invaluable pay campaign on page 8

What is Shared Lives Plus doing to help carers with the cost of living?

Our work with schemes

Shared Lives Plus recommends that Shared Lives carers be paid in three parts. These payments should be:

- A board and lodgings payment – This payment should be paid from a person’s benefits.

- A housing payment – This usually comes from the supported persons Universal Credit or Housing Benefit.

- A care and support payment – This is normally funded by adult social care.

We have been working with Shared Lives schemes to explore how they can increase board and lodgings and/or care and support payments.

1. Where possible, Shared Lives Plus has recommended that Shared Lives schemes secure an increased weekly contribution towards food and utilities from the supported person.

In some cases, it may be possible for Shared Lives schemes to request an increase to the board and lodgings payment from the local authority or whoever is responsible for the supported person’s contribution.

This may not be possible where:

- schemes are contractually obliged to a pre-determined rate over a set a period.

- A person already receives lower amounts of benefits, for example where the person is under 25 years old.

- A scheme operates a flat rate payment. i.e., Where the Local Authority deducts the board and lodgings payment and housing benefit from the overall payment to ensure all carers receive the same payment.

2. We are also supporting Shared Lives schemes to achieve uplifts to care and support payments where this has not yet been achieved.

We have already heard from several schemes who have achieved uplifts to the care and support payments this year. We also know that many schemes are still working to obtain uplifts on behalf of Shared Lives carers.

We have recommended that Shared Lives schemes ensure that they are on the “other care providers” list within the local authority/HSC. This means that Shared Lives carers pay will be reviewed whenever there is a general review of care provider pay.

Shared Lives Plus has also outlined how Shared Lives schemes can lobby for uplifts by gathering evidence on how the cost of living is impacting carers energy bills and other living expenses.

Campaigns and influencing

We are getting ready to relaunch our #Invaluable campaign, which seeks to ensure Shared Lives carers are paid fairly for their essential work.

We have raised the issue of the cost-ofliving grant with the Department of Work and Pensions, and we will raise this again in our next meeting. We have highlighted to the DWP that the cost-of-living grant does not account for Shared Lives, and that it makes it difficult for Shared Lives carers to access any of this support payment towards the overall cost of living in the Shared Lives household.

We are also allies of the Disability Poverty Campaign Group (DPCG), a new coalition led by Disability Rights UK and Inclusion London. The purpose of the group is to respond to increasing poverty in the Disabled community around food, fuel, and benefits as the cost-of-living increases.

How can Shared Lives carers approach the government about the cost of living?

Shared Lives carers can also play a role in highlighting the impact of the rising cost-ofliving for people with disabilities, and those that work in the care sector.

One way to do this is to join The Action Network letter writing campaign calling for an emergency uprating of benefits in line with inflation, and a review of “extra care” benefits designed to cover the additional costs of living with disability. If you would like to add your voice to the campaign, you can send a virtual letter via The Action Network website.