‘I got a £300 grant I didn’t know existed after losing winter fuel cash - I was shocked!’

A state pensioner from Lancashire was left feeling shocked to receive a £300 grant after losing her winter fuel payment last year. The colder months were daunting for Karen Ballington, 69, a retired administrator, after Chancellor Rachel Reeves limited the payment to just state pensioners on means-tested benefits.

Ms Ballington said she only received it for two years before it was cancelled for her. She told the Express: “I've worked all my life, so I've never been on any benefits. But the crunch for me came when Rachel Reeves cancelled the winter fuel allowance." Ms Ballington stumbled across the Lightning Reach Portal, developed as part of TSB Bank’s Labs programme, which was shared on a Facebook page.

The portal helps connect people to personalised support, such as grants, benefits, and general help with bills.

Ms Ballington said: “I thought about [applying] for a little while, as my previous experience of looking for support before made me think I wouldn’t be qualified as I’m not on benefits.”

She continued: “I'd worked for the NHS for such a long time. When you go through all the different professions on the portal that can claim things, NHS employees come up. I was surprised. I thought, ‘Well, just apply for it, you never know’.

“And I got it. I received £300, and that was such a help because I’m not working now. I'm trying to find a little part-time job just to help towards the bills. So that £300 was such a help. It was fabulous, but I didn't know anything about it.”

Using the portal, Ms Ballington was able to claim a £150 grant from the Park Homes Warm Home Discount provided by Charis. She was also eligible for the National Health Service Pensioners’ Trust's (NHSPT) support for retired NHS Workers, taking the overall grant up to £300.

Ms Ballington said: “I was totally shocked, but also very grateful.”

Ms Ballington was also pleasantly surprised by how quickly the entire process took. She said: ”I applied on October 16 and received the award on November 21. It was great to receive the money so quickly. It took away the worry of having to turn the heating off as the bills went sky high; Park Homes get quite cold in the winter, so any kind of help towards that is a must.”

Nicola Bannister, director of enterprise services at TSB, said: “Stories like Karen’s show the incredible support that Lightning Reach provides to struggling households. Since launching our partnership, we’ve seen first-hand the difference these grants make to people across the UK – and we would encourage anyone in financial hardship to apply.”

Check your eligibility for grants using the portal here.

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