Cost of Living Payments 2023 to 2024

The government has announced when further Cost of Living Payments will be made between spring 2023 and spring 2024. These payments are:

• £301 for people on an eligible low income benefit, to be paid during spring 2023
• £150 for people on an eligible disability benefit, to be paid during summer 2023
• £300 for people on an eligible low income benefit, to be paid during autumn 2023
• £300 for pensioner households, to be paid during winter 2023 to 2024
• £299 for people on an eligible low income benefit, to be paid in spring 2024

Further guidance will be published when more details have been announced, including the qualifying dates.

If you are worried about debt, please come into out offices and an experienced adviser will be able to provide free, confidential debt advice. We are open from 09:30 to 11:00 Monday to Friday – no appointment is necessary

We will need accurate up-to-date information about all your income and spending.

This includes the following

• Wage slips,
• Benefit statements,
• Pension income statements,
• Last 3 months Bank statements,
• Utility bills such as gas, electricity and water.
• Council Tax Bill
• Tenancy agreement or details of rent payable
• Mortgage Statement (if appicable)

We will also need

• your latest letters/statements from your creditors;
• details of your addresses for the past 6 years
• your free statutory credit report from a credit reference agency. 

You can obtain your statutory report from 

Experian at https://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/statutory-report.html

Equifax at https://www.equifax.co.uk/Products/credit/statutory-report.html

​​​​​​​Transunion at https://www.transunionstatreport.co.uk/CreditReport/AboutYou

Your statutory credit report details your credit history. It contains public and private information recorded in your name and is available to authorised lenders carrying out a credit check. Credit reports are used by lenders to help them in making decisions about whether to give you credit or not.

You can obtain your free statutory credit report from:

Experian at https://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/statutory-report.html

Equifax at https://www.equifax.co.uk/Products/credit/statutory-report.html

​​​​​​​Transunion at https://www.transunionstatreport.co.uk/CreditReport/AboutYou

Following Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps’ intervention, all energy suppliers have now committed to ending the forced installation of prepayment meters in vulnerable customers’ homes.

The following venues are open in Ashford providing food banks and other services, please check each listing for services offered.

Ashford Advice Seabrooke House, Church Road, Ashford

Food Bank vouchers for FareShare outlets in Ashford from 9.30am to 11am Monday to Friday (Details of outlets and opening times are on the voucher)

Vinnies Diner, Bright City Church, Bank Street, Ashford.

Free hot lunch, pudding, tea or coffee and food bank available.  The lunch is for anyone, whether rich or poor! from 11.30 – 1.30 pm on Mondays

Food bank also available

Open Arms, Ashford Community Church, 54 Francis Road, Ashford

Free hot meal for homeless and vulnerable people. Tuesday from 10 am – 1 pm

Food bank also available

Salvation Army, 115 Cudworth Road, South Willesborough, Ashford TN24 0BE

Food Bank 10am – 12pm on a Friday

Community Fridge – Peoples Pantry Repton Connect Community Centre

STEP 1

If you are in need of food or hygiene

items, check out our website for the list

of free items we have in stock

STEP 2

Call or email us and request

the items you need

STEP 3

We’ll arrange a time slot for you to

come and collect them from

Repton Connect Community Centre.

We’ll leave the items outside the door for you.

NO RULES, NO FUSS, NO REFERRALS.

If you need something, you’re welcome to request it.

We haven’t forgotten people who aren’t able to leave

their house. Just contact us and we’ll try to help.

If you would like to request items, or make a donation, please call 01233 808023 or email: info@reptonct.uk

To Good to Go – End food waste

Join millions of food waste warriors by downloading Too Good To Go – the world’s number 1 app for fighting food waste. Pick up delicious meals and ingredients from local stores.

To download Google app or Apple store

https://toogoodtogo.co.uk/images/buttons/google-play/en-gb.svg

https://toogoodtogo.co.uk/images/buttons/app-store/en-gb.svg

To download Google app or Apple store visit Website https://toogoodtogo.co.uk/

TESCO is giving away free food in a bid to cut down on food waste.

To get hold of your freebie you’ll need to download the Olio app is free to download from Apple Store for iPhones or Google Play Store if you’re on android.

You will need to register an account using your email address or Facebook account, and switch on your location settings.

You can then browse the app to find out what’s up for grabs in your local area.

When you find something that you like, click on the item and then click the red “Request This Listing” button.

You will then be able to message the volunteer to arrange to collect it.

To list food on the app, you’ll need to click on the red + button and add a description. 

Ashford Advice offers a service to write your will for an an affordable fee. You do not have to live in Ashford. We can also assist with Probate and Last Power of Attorney. Please contact our offices for an appointment with a solicitor.

Ashford Advice are currently tendering for a new Legal Aid contract to help people in Kent who are facing eviction from rented accommodation, including representation at Court

We are also able to assist with: Housing Disrepair, Possession and Injunctions for housing matters

Our in-house solicitor is currently training to become a Family Mediator. We expect to be able to offer this service to all Kent residents.