Grants of £200 and community warm spaces are among the measures outlined by the council to help struggling residents this winter.

The coming months are expected to see hard-pressed families grapple with a range of financial challenges due to energy costs.

The Energy Price Cap - which sets limits on what most households pay for energy - rose by 10 per cent on average at the start of this month which will see households further hit in the pocket.

And many pensioners have also been hit by a controversial decision to change entitlement to the winter fuel allowance  from a blanket payment to one which is means tested.

The allowance used to provide up to £300 to anyone of pensionable age. The decision to means test it will result in around 66,000 pensioners in the borough set to miss out

Now Cheshire West and Chester Council plans to set aside around £600,000 of Household Support Funding to pensioner households that are identified as being on low incomes but missing out on winter fuel payments.

The council said the awards will be made early in December to around 3,000 households to the sum of £200 per household.

Many pensioners are also still unaware they may be entitled to benefits which may make them still eligible for the winter fuel allowance, such as pension credits.

And the council said it will also be supporting the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to encourage greater take up of unclaimed pension credits by eligible households.

The authority said it will also continue to top up its own HELP fund by £450,000.

HELP is a discretionary scheme offering local welfare assistance including:

  • Support for exceptional needs.
  • Limited payments for emergency funding in a crisis.
  • To help people moving out of care.

The council said it is also providing Citizens Advice with a further £100k to support clients with energy costs. It said a network of spaces is also being made available at all libraries and at a range of community venues across the borough.

A council spokeswoman said: "Residents will receive a friendly welcome from staff and volunteers in a warm and safe place and take part in a range of events and activities that are on offer."

Further help and support can be found via the following links.

Help in Emergencies for Local People (HELP) | Cheshire West and Chester Council

Heating bank | Citizens Advice Cheshire West (citizensadvicecw.org.uk)