Our Energy Advisor & Project Co-ordinator Helen has been out and about in West Berkshire and Slough this month, running information and advice sessions with groups supporting families. At Compton, Helen met a parent she had advised previously. That parent was pleased to inform Helen that she was now using her economy seven heating properly, had claimed the Warm Home Discount, and had saved £60 per month on her gas and electricity costs, a total of (£860 saving a year!!). Most importantly though this has resulted in her family being warm at home and no longer having to use extra clothing and blankets to avoid the cold.

Helen has also run a training session for social workers on how they can support and advise the vulnerable families they support, to reduce their home energy costs and claim any additional income they are entitled to.

Helen’s top-tip,
if you work with low-income families, or those on a low-income with long term
health conditions, tell them to claim
The Warm Home Discount now! In
previous years the big suppliers have closed for new applications in December.

Barclays has reversed its decision to prevent customers withdrawing cash at post offices reports the Citizens Advice. Barclays’ announcement that from January, its debit card holder would no longer be able to withdraw cash from a post office counter prompted fury from MPs and consumer groups.

Cancelling the plan, Barclays said it had been persuaded to rethink its proposals by the argument that offering the service is “crucial at this point to the viability of the post office network.”

Barclays had been the only one of 28 banks not to fully sign up to a new Banking Framework agreement which ensures consumers can continue to access everyday banking services at post offices. The new agreement also sees an increase in payments for postmasters providing these services. The government consistently cites Post Office banking services as a key part of
the solution to bank branch closures.

Barclays closed around 500 branches since 2015, and an estimated 15 million cash withdrawals were made by Barclays customers at post offices last year. Citizens Advice is currently undertaking research into Post Office banking. For further details see their blog or contact annabel.barnett@citizensadvice.org.uk.