Cost of Living Support

News from Essex County Council, and great to see the wonderful facility at St Peter's Church, the Daily Bread Cafe, at the forefront again

Essex County Council is establishing four community hubs in Brentwood to ensure no resident is excluded from digital opportunities.

In recent weeks I have been knocking on doors in some of Brentwood and Ongar’s villages, chatting to local residents about the issues which matter to them. I’ve also been carrying out my usual Friday visits to some of our local schools and businesses.

I receive thousands of emails each year from constituents, some wishing to make known their views on Government policy, some wishing to bring my attention to issues being highlighted by a charity or a lobbying organisation, and some asking me for my help in dealing with difficult personal problem

I am very pleased the next cost of living payment, worth £300 for 7,100 vulnerable and low-income households in Brentwood and Ongar will be made between 31 October and 19 November 2023.

The Government has launched the Great British Insulation Scheme, which aims to help more than 300,000 families heat their homes and save money on their bills through energy efficiency upgrades, such as: 

Measures to support households with their bills and increase the country’s energy security and independence are at the heart of the Budget announced by the Chancellor.

Households without a direct relationship to an electricity supplier, such as those living in park homes and care homes, can now apply via a secure online portal to receive the support as a one-off, non-repayable lump sum under the ‘alternative funding’ route of the government’s Energy Bills Suppo

I am very pleased the Government is making £842 million of additional funding available from 1st April to help the most vulnerable households across England.

In the last couple of months we have seen temperatures in Ongar either remain resolutely below zero for a week at a time, or reach such levels of warmth that spring flowers and buds start appearing in some confusion.

An initiative to provide free showering facilities to those unable to shower at home has been rolled out in leisure centres across mid and south Essex, including the Brentwood Centre.