Need for financial guidance increases in Grimsby

Support for Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance and Pension Credit applications have all seen significant increases in Grimsby, as the cost of living challenges continue.

It follows a wider trend from Cadent’s national Centre for Warmth programme, which has seen the average number of individuals requiring financial guidance across a number of its centres increase. The programme was set up to support local people living in the most vulnerable situations, by working with community centres to ensure the most appropriate help is provided for those who need it most.

Most of the centres provide income maximisation support, which includes advice on budgeting, how to make the most of any income, as well as guidance on applying for benefits or how to manage debt. Unsurprisingly, new insight, collected from the Centres for Warmth which have provided income maximisation since October 2023, shows that demand for benefit and debt relief is soaring.

Last winter, between October and December 2024, Cadent’s 350 Centres for Warmth have provided income maximisation support to over 20,000 individuals. The benefits with the highest increase of successful applications on behalf of visitors since 2023 are:

• Pension Credit: +180%
• PIP: +147%
• Warm Home Discount: +114%
• Universal Credit: +89%
• Attendance Allowance: +68%

Almost three quarters of the centres that have provided the support since 2023, have seen visitors using this service more than double. This includes the Rock Foundation in Grimsby, which has seen demand increase by 254 per cent.

Andy Silvester, one of the advisors at the Rock Foundation, said: “Many people just haven’t known where to turn for the support and guidance which is why demand is increasing all the time and it’s hard to see this dropping anytime soon. We’ve seen funding be cut to key local support services, while we often find that people struggle with the digital nature of the forms. Many are digitally excluded, while some find the forms very complicated. What’s most interesting, however, is that some people simply don’t know what benefits they’re entitled to.”

The increase in demand has been seen across Cadent’s entire network, which stretches from Blackpool to Borehamwood. Cadent’s Centre for Warmth programme is funded through Ofgem’s Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA). Cadent has so far provided more than £13 million worth of funding to the programme.

Phil Burrows, Head of Customer Vulnerability and Social Purpose, at Cadent added: “Our centres play a crucial role in the communities they serve. They build trust with people living in the most vulnerable situations and help open dialogue to address subjects which often have a stigma attached to them, like debt and benefits support. While the impact the programme is having is evident, it is also worrying to witness how much demand is increasing.”

To find out more about Cadent’s Centre for Warmth programme, please visit www.cadentgas.com/cfw.