Members of Inverclyde Council’s policy and resources committee unanimously agreed to provide £100 to people who are not eligible for existing local or national support.

The one-off payment will be made to crisis grant applicants where the applicant is approved for assistance with fuel costs and they are not eligible for the government Pension Age Winter Fuel Payment or did not receive the Inverclyde Council Pension Age Fuel Poverty Payment.

A total of £130k has been allocated towards the scheme, which is being funded through an additional allocation to the council from the Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF).

Councillor Natasha McGuire, depute leader of Inverclyde Council and convener of the policy and resources committee, said: “We have a proud record of using the limited resources we have to help the most vulnerable in our community and this is another example of that.

“We are using Inverclyde’s additional share of the Scottish Welfare Fund to support people who are struggling with fuel bills and have not been able to access any of the other local or national funding streams.

“This important intervention is on top of existing support schemes, such as pension age fuel poverty payments and the Warm Hand of Friendship initiative.

“We remain committed to supporting families and individuals who are going through tough times.”

An initial £20,000 will be available from Wednesday 5 February 2025 until 31 March 2025 for new SWF applicants who meet the criteria.

A further £110k has been allocated to the scheme through until 31 March 2026. 

The new crisis grants fund is on top of additional council support schemes.

In November 2024, a new £600k Fuel Poverty fund spanning two years was set up with a one-off £200 pension age fuel poverty payment for the winter of 2024 to around 1,300 elderly and vulnerable people, with payments having already been made to eligible residents.

National fuel poverty support is being monitored to develop ways by which support could be accessed by non-pensionable age households in fuel poverty in the winter of 2025.

The council has also extended the Warm Hand of Friendship initiative, which launched in 2022, through until 2027 representing a total financial commitment of £560,000 to help struggling families and individuals during the harsh winter months.