We have successfully completed our winter fuel support scheme, providing much-needed financial assistance to nearly 200 of our tenants who are struggling with rising energy costs, and resulting in thousands of pounds being awarded to them.
The initiative, which we launched in November in response to the government’s surprise decision to stop winter fuel payments for around 10 million pensioners, has been praised both by tenants and by Buckinghamshire Council for its effectiveness and positive impact.
The scheme targeted vulnerable tenants of state retirement age who are not receiving other benefits and are living in homes with lower EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) ratings. People who met these criteria were invited to apply for vouchers to offset their energy bills.
We partnered with Charis, a trusted administrator for essential funds and grants, whose website and support team proved invaluable in managing the distribution of the vouchers.
“We’re incredibly proud of the positive impact this scheme has had on our tenants,” said our Head of Community, Todd Ricketts. “We know that the rising cost of living is a real concern, and we wanted to do everything we could to alleviate some of that pressure during the winter months. The feedback we’ve received has been overwhelmingly positive, with many tenants expressing their gratitude for the extra support.”
Buckinghamshire Council has recognised the success of the approach developed by Red Kite and agreed to provide funding for this scheme from the Department for Work & Pensions’ Household Support Fund. They have also worked with us to share the details of our approach with other housing associations and replicate this in other areas.
Councillor Arif Hussain, Cabinet Member for Communities at Buckinghamshire Council, commented:
“The work that Red Kite has led has been fantastic in providing assistance to elderly tenants during the winter period, and we are proud to have worked with them to support this and enable other housing associations to do the same. Buckinghamshire Council has targeted our use of the Household Support Fund to support pensioners during the colder months, and through working with Red Kite we will reach over 1,400 pensioners across the county.”
The positive feedback from our tenants speaks volumes about the scheme’s impact:
“Thank you for the help with the winter fuel payment which you so very kindly offered. It has been most helpful in boosting my credit for the coming cold months. Every penny helps. I am most grateful, thank you again.”
“Red Kite has gone above and beyond helping with these winter fuel vouchers. I am especially thankful for your help.”
We remain committed to supporting our tenants and will continue to explore initiatives that address the challenges of the rising cost of living.
