*UPDATE* Due to overwhelming demand the Winter Fuel Grant reached the maximum number of applications within 1 hour of opening yesterday. There will be a further opportunity to access financial support for your energy bills when the third phase of the Energy Support Fund goes live in March.
We will post more information here as soon as we have it and in the meantime you can explore what other welfare assistance is available by visiting this page: https://www.unison.org.uk/get-help/services-support/there-for-you
UNISON’s Winter Fuel Grant Programme for 2023 will open at 10am on Wednesday 25 January and all applications must be made online.
Given the significant amount of applications submitted for the previous Fuel Grants, we wanted to share details on the new grant as soon as possible so any members struggling with energy bills are ready to apply from 10am tomorrow.
Please be aware that you will need to meet the eligibility criteria before submitting a claim:
- 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 include 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 (e.g. adult children or lodgers).
OR:
Be in receipt of means-tested benefits. This includes:
- Universal Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Child and/or Working Tax Credits
- Pension Credit
- Means-tested Jobseekers Allowance
- Means-tested Employment Support Allowance
- Income support
If your application is successful, UNISON can help with a one-off, non-repayable grant of £200. To ensure that this fund goes as far as possible, please only apply if you are in financial difficulty. The Winter Fuel Grant Programme for 2023 can accept 2,000 applications and when this target has been reached, the fund will close.
For more information and to apply for the fund when it goes live at 10am tomorrow, please visit this link: https://www.unison.org.uk/get-help/services-support/there-for-you/winter-fuel-grants/
