Extension to Inverness Common Good scheme of winter payments

The Highland Council’s City of Inverness Area Committee has agreed to extend the qualification criteria for the Inverness Common Good Scheme of winter payments to ensure that more people benefit from assistance with their fuel bills.

The Committee has agreed to increase the winter payments budget by £49,000 to £106,000 so that everyone over 90 years of age (as at 28 February 2014) and those who receive a Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant Payment (between 1 December 2013 and 28 February 2014) qualifies for help, Importantly, qualification for the winter payment for either those over 90 or in receipt of the Grant as described qualify automatically and don’t have to meet the conditions set out below.

The winter payment is a one-off £40.

A second one-off payment is available for those qualifying who may live in a home with poor insulation/heating.  This payment is £33.

The scheme is open to residents within the Wards of Aird and Loch Ness, Inverness West, Inverness Central, Inverness Ness-side, Inverness Millburn, Culloden and Ardersier and Inverness South.

Councillor Ian Brown, Leader of the Council’s City of Inverness Area Committee, said: “The winter payments scheme is very important to those in most need of assistance with their fuel bills over the winter months.  We are keen to increase uptake and we hope we can achieve this by widening the qualification criteria.”

The amount paid out last winter was £44,661.

To qualify, an applicant, other than those over 90 and in receipt of a crisis grant, must be in receipt of either:

• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit;
or be in receipt of one criteria from each of the following:

• Income Support;
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance;
• Income Based Employment and Support Allowance/Incapacity;   
   and there must be a resident in property entitled to one of the following:
• Attendance Allowance;
• Disability Living Allowance (middle or high rate care component);
• War Pension.

In addition, applicants must be able to confirm that there are no residents in the household in receipt of a wage either now or in the last 6 months or with capital in excess of £6,000.  Only one application per household will be accepted.

The payment scheme will be launched early in November.