Cost of Living Support
As the winter draws in, it is important to keep yourself safe and warm when living with arthritis. We understand that the cost of this is set to rise over the winter. We have put together some tips that will help you to stay warm, find support with rising energy costs, and eat well.
Get Financial Support
There are grants and other options for financial support to help with your energy bills. These include winter fuel payments and fuel vouchers for people struggling to pay their heating bills. For example, the government is offering an ‘Energy Bills Support Scheme’ discount of £400. A full list of the support available can be found on the Citizens Advice website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk.
Some local areas are introducing initiatives to ensure people can keep their homes warm by improving the energy efficiency of homes in the area. For more information, visit www.warmerhomes.org.uk.
If you can’t pay your bills, or know somebody else who cannot, it is important to get help quickly. Action for Warm Homes has a helpline which can be called on 0800 304 7159. You can also contact your energy supplier if you are worried about keeping up with payments. They may be able to change your payment plan to help you through the coming months.
The ‘Priority Services Register’ is another free support service to help people in vulnerable situations. You can get more information at www.ofgem.gov.uk.
Smart Meters
Smart meters do not save money on their own, however they do make it a lot easier for you to monitor your energy use. This then helps you set targets each day, week, or month, and stick to them over time.
If you have a pre-payment meter, you might be able to get short-term credit from your supplier if you are unable to top it up. This might be done automatically, or you might have to call them depending on the company that supplies your energy. It will also be worth asking them if you qualify for any fuel vouchers, to see if these can be credited to you and your account.
Subsidised Clinicial Appointments
Arthritis Action offers its charity Members two subsidised sessions of clinical appointments per membership year, up to the value of £30 per session. This gives our Members time to chat about their concerns and learn how the self-management approach might benefit them, while also receiving hands-on treatment. All of our Associated Practitioners are healthcare professionals and are registered with their respective professional bodies.
“I, and a few of my patients, have found membership with Arthritis Action to be invaluable in enabling and subsidising access to private care, especially during the recent cost of living crisis and the impact on NHS services. Providing financial support for a few sessions every year is frequently commented on by my patients as being so very important.” – James Woledge, Arthritis Action Associated Practitioner
Learn more about becoming a Member by visiting our Benefits of Membership page.
Healthy and warming food
We have a selection of healthy and inexpensive recipes on our website.
Non-perishable items or items with long use-by dates, such as tinned tomatoes, soups, pulses, and lentils can help to keep costs down, and do not need to be stored in the fridge until they have been opened. Meals that include garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper, oats, and root vegetables can help to warm you, while protein-rich meals can turn up the heat in your body.
Keep an eye on our website over the coming months for more information and resources aimed at helping you cope with the rising cost of living.
For more information and resources to help manage your heating and electricity during the winter months, visit our Heating and Electricity page.