From December 2020, Citizens Advice can provide additional financial support to clients in West Sussex through the DWP Winter Grant scheme. You may also see this called the Winter Fuel Hardship Fund.

This is separate but complementary to Fuel Vouchers support.

The main criteria for support are household income below £30,000. Households with children are earmarked for 80% of funding with 20% marked for other vulnerable clients.

If you believe your client is eligible, you should follow the procedure below.

The referral process

• Adviser assesses need for support
• Adviser discusses with authorised person whether eligibility has been met
• If met, adviser writes up case and uses the tag “West Sussex – Winter Grant questions”
• Adviser updates profile information to ensure correct contact information is on file
• Adviser completes custom questions (referral form) that appear when saving the case
• Authorised person adds a task for “West Sussex – Winter Grant Scheme” list – please include in the task any extra relevant information that has not been asked in the questions
• Referral is picked up by the grant administration who contact the client to obtain specific information and decide what will be granted
• If appropriate, information is passed to our bookkeeper to process the payment or order the items

The questions you’ll be asked

These questions are a conversation guide to ensure useful assessment information is gathered about situation and potential specific areas where the grant may be able to help. They are not absolute confirmations of eligibility. (Please don’t include Special Category Data without applicable consent or include client identifiable data)

Main eligibility questions

Is the client’s household income under £30,000?

Does the client have children under 18 living with them? (no children does not necessarily mean no eligibility).

Additional information required (Tagging West Sussex Winter Grant makes these questions available)

• Does the client require support with – Electricity debt/current bill?
• Does the client require support with – Gas debt/current bill?
• Does the client require support with – Water debt/current bill?
• Has the client has outstanding debts? If so, how much is each debt and is it directly related to the utility company or with a debt recovery company?
• Are there any emergency situations? (Please mention in case note write up any known recent issues with homelessness, domestic abuse, coming out of prison or another institution or recent hospitalisation/community care. Making sure to discuss and get permission for special category data as appropriate to circumstances.)

Possible conversation guiding questions/collecting relevant information

• Is the client fuel poor?
• Does the client have less than £200 available?
• Is anyone in the household disabled or have a long-term health condition? (Please ensure to gain consent from client as information is special category data)
• Is anyone in the household of pension age?
• Is anyone in the household a carer?
• Was the client recently homeless?
• Has anyone in the household suffered financially due to effects of the pandemic? E.g. redundancy, reduced hours
• Has the client engaged with the advice service and taken all appropriate action to improve their circumstances?
• Will awarding the grant relieve/reduce the client’s worries of how they will pay their fuel bills in future?
• Are there any emergencies? E.g. Bailiffs, no heating/hot water, energy disconnection

FAQ areas

How much help will a client receive?

This will depend on what is appropriate for their situation. There is no maximum limit but a number of factors will be taken into consideration, such as:

• Their income
• If there are vulnerable people in the household
• If they have children under 18
• If there are emergency situations, such as no hot water/heating or bailiffs coming
• If paying for the services would reduce/remove the risk of fuel poverty long-term

Please note that making a referral does not guarantee a grant will be received for all items requested but our grant administrators will explore what is appropriate in the client’s situation.

• pandemic? E.g. redundancy, reduced hours
• Has the client engaged with the advice service and taken all appropriate action to improve their circumstances?
• Will awarding the grant relieve/reduce the client’s worries of how they will pay their fuel bills in future?
• Are there any emergencies? E.g. Bailiffs, no heating/hot water, energy disconnection

FAQ areas

How much help will a client receive?

This will depend on what is appropriate for their situation. There is no maximum limit but a number of factors will be taken into consideration, such as:

• Their income
• If there are vulnerable people in the household
• If they have children under 18
• If there are emergency situations, such as no hot water/heating or bailiffs coming
• If paying for the services would reduce/remove the risk of fuel poverty long-term
• Please note that making a referral does not guarantee a grant will be received for all items requested but our grant administrators will explore what is appropriate in the client’s situation.

Will the client receive the money directly?

• No. Our bookkeeper will make payments directly to suppliers, e.g. energy suppliers, plumbers, online shopping orders.