Cheshire East Council helps vulnerable and elderly residents with additional winter wellbeing support

Cheshire East Council is providing additional support to vulnerable individuals and families during the winter months and those experiencing difficulties during the current pandemic.

Cold weather is especially dangerous for the elderly, disabled and those with chronic illness. Utilising funding received from central government, the council’s multi-agency winter wellbeing group looked at what resources could be made available and distributed through social care teams, partner agencies, the voluntary, faith and community sectors.

The council worked fast to make the necessary purchases and from a community building distributed blankets, sleeping bags, oil filled radiators, duvets, warm clothing, vacuum flasks, hot water bottles, and slow cookers.

Those who have benefitted from the resources include families and individuals whose heating is inadequate, homeless individuals (including night shelters) and asylum seekers. The council also provided water-proof ponchos and strong wind-proof umbrellas to a charity supporting wheelchair users. 

AGEUK Cheshire East responded in an email to the council saying: ‘I would just like to thank you again for all your work in getting these to us on time and for dealing with it over the weekend. There will be 100 vulnerable older people and couples better off as a result of your support'.

Councillor Mick Warren, Cheshire East Council’s cabinet member for communities, said: “With the onset of winter and some longer periods of cold and wet weather recently, it’s vital that support can quickly reach those who need it most.

"I would like to take the opportunity of thanking all our staff who have worked so hard along with partner organisations in assisting some of most vulnerable residents during what has been a particularly cold and wet weather period."

Councillor Nick Mannion, Cheshire East Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for housing, said: “I would strongly urge residents from households that don’t have central heating, who are either in poor health or at risk of poor health, to make sure their home is warm over these cold winter months and find out what support might be available.”

With one in ten older people cutting back on their winter heating to make ends meet, there is a range of help available to help cover the costs of winter including winter fuel payments and cold weather payments when temperatures fall to an average of 0°C for seven days.

For more information, please go to the government's heating and housing benefits pages.

In addition, there is also information available to help with heating your home on the council’s website.