Council giving out items to poorest households to 'heat the person, not the home' this winter

South Gloucestershire Council will give out 1,000 packs of items necessary for day-to-day living to the poorest households in the region to “heat the person, not the home”. The news that warm packs are being distributed by the council comes as many millions of people had their Winter Fuel Payments (WFP) taken away.

WFP were cut earlier this year and are now only available to those in receipt of Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits including Universal Credit. It means that some households will lose several hundreds of pounds as heating bills rise this winter.

South Gloucestershire Council has secured a further £1.41 million in Household Support Funding from October 2024 to March 2025. Some of this funding is being used to fund warm bags which will give those struggling with the cost of food, water and energy hot water bottles, soup and blankets.

The warm bags are designed to “help people stay warm and well in the winter months by heating the person, not the home”. The packs are being distributed via charitable organisations, the One Stop shops, and children’s centres across South Gloucestershire.

A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council said: “We have secured a further £1.41m in Household Support Funding for the period of October 2024 to March 2025 to help those of our residents who are struggling with the cost of food, energy, water and other essentials. We aim to support as many residents as we can who meet the eligibility criteria and need our help the most. Due to the limited funds available, we will prioritise items necessary for day-to-day living, but other essential types of support will be considered.

“As part of the Household Support Fund this winter, we have provided residents who are struggling to heat their homes a free warm pack containing items to help stay well in the coldest months. There will be 1,000 of the free packs which include a bag, hot water bottle, thermal flask, reusable hand warmers, soup, hats, socks, gloves and a blanket.

“They will be available to South Gloucestershire residents, subject to a few eligibility questions, from One Stop shops and some of our partner organisations. The majority of our first batch of packs have now gone direct to residents, and more will be available towards the end of the month.”

The council added that the application process can be found on their website and that those needing urgent support should visit their nearest One Stop shop or ring the dedicated phone number. The council said: “We have an application process which is open to all South Gloucestershire residents, including additional payments to customers of pension age. To find out further details and to check if you could be eligible for support, visit here.

“If you need urgent support to pay for food, do not apply online. Visit your nearest One Stop shop as soon as you can to speak with one of our advisers. They can check whether you are eligible for a foodbank voucher, if you cannot access a One Stop Shop, call 01454 868009.”

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