Pensioners in Kent missing out on this year’s Winter Fuel Payment are being urged to check if they can claim £200 worth of support from their local council.

The support forms part of Kent County Council’s portion of the Household Support Fund, a Government scheme launched for local authorities to help their constituents with living costs.

Councils in England decide how best to allocate their portion of the fund, with the amount received based on the size of the population within its catchment area and needs. This year, the support will run from from October 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.

A statement on Kent County Council’s website reads: “With the recent changes to Winter Fuel Payment eligibility for pensioners, we have launched the Pensioner Just Missing Out scheme for pension-aged residents on lower incomes who are not eligible for Pension Credit or the Government’s Winter Fuel Payment

“The scheme enables you to apply for support with food, energy or both.”

Who is eligible for the Pensioner Just Missing Out scheme?

People will be eligible for assistance if they:

• or a partner living with them is aged 66 or over
• are a Kent resident, permanently living within one of the 12 local authorities covered by Kent County Council (this excludes Medway, Bexley, or Bromley)
• have an annual household income (before tax) of more than £11,343.80 (£17,313.40 for a joint household income) and below £40,000
• do not have more than £1,000 in savings
• are not in receipt of Pension Credit.

If a person qualifies, the council will issue the household with vouchers to the value of £200, which can be redeemed towards food, energy or both.

Applicants must provide an email address and have online access to activate energy support. Food vouchers, however, do not require online activation and can be issued via email or post. Applications can be made here.

People will receive a confirmation email with a reference number once the application is submitted. A further email will be sent when the application has been approved or declined.

Owing to demand, the local authority said applications may take up to 20 working days to process.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that the annual Winter Fuel Payment would be means-tested this year, removing the support from millions of state pensioners who would have previously received it automatically, in a bid to cut costs.

Councils across the country are offering their own varying support, making it key for Britons to check their local authority’s website or call their office to see what’s available to them.

People can use this postcode checker to find out what council they fall under.