In response to the cost of living challenges facing many people, driven by sky-rocketing energy bills, G15 members have committed a further £5.8 million to support residents facing hardship this year.
Through a range of resident welfare and hardship funds,
administered by each not-for-profit housing association, residents can receive
support with issues such as emergency fuel and food needs, as well as receiving specialist
advice and support. The majority of members have increased the support
available in these funds from last year, with increases ranging from 18% to
1,171%.
Alongside this emergency support, new figures have revealed
that, during the last year (2021/22), G15 members supported residents to secure
£44 million of financial gains by accessing social security support and other
budget boosting measures.
G15 members provided 33,767 people with targeted
advice support in the last 12 months, including specialist debt advice.
The support comes at the same time as G15 members have
called for government action to support people facing cost of living pressures
as a result of rising energy bills. Earlier this week, the G15 added its
support to calls for action by the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss MP, to bring
forward the planned uprating of social security from next April next year to
this October, and to prevent energy companies from forcibly switching people to
prepayment meters, which can often be more expensive.
As well as crisis support, G15 members continue to invest
to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes and to cut bills for
residents. For example, through insultation works, MTVH has saved residents
£739,000 over the last year on their bills, and Social Housing Decarbonisation
Fund backed improvements will benefit a further 1,200 homes, saving a further
£230,000 on energy bills. Clarion will deliver energy improvements to at least
3,000 homes this year, having carried out works to 1,726 homes over the last
year. Peabody is currently fitting 300 homes with solar panels and batteries.
All G15 members are working towards ensuring all homes meet
at least Energy Performance Certificate band C by 2030, with over 71% of G15
homes rated EPC C or above already. Homes rated EPC F are likely to have a gas
bill £968 higher than homes rated EPC C, and when gas and electricity bills are
taken together, those living in the worst rated homes will pay almost £2,000
extra compared to EPC C, and the average EPC D homes will pay almost £600
extra, demonstrating the need to continue investment in improving energy
efficiency of existing homes.
Geeta Nanda OBE, G15 Chair and Chief Executive of MTVH,
said:
“We are deeply concerned by the impact cost of living
pressures are having on the people we provide homes to. As this commitment to
boosting hardship funding shows, G15 members are increasing support for
residents, alongside providing specialist advice and assistance. This is on top
of the work we are doing to bring down people’s energy bills by improving the
energy performance of the homes we provide.
“However, despite helping to secure £44 million of
financial gains for residents and supporting more than 33,700 people in the
last year, we know times are really tough. All our organisations are committed
to support the people we provide homes to, despite costs facing not-for-profit
housing associations rising faster than inflation, with vital materials for
repairs works increasing by as much as 16.8% this year.
“The difficulties we see people facing shows how critical it is that the
government announces further support for people to deal with crippling energy
bills, but also to make sure the social security system is able to help people
when they need it.”