Is there any financial help for pensioners for essential items?

[SodYouIllGoOnMyOwn]

Elderly housebound woman has 3 fridges, none of which work. She needs a new fridge freezer, but doesn’t have any money or savings. Her cooker also doesn’t work and neither does her microwave, so she could to with some help here also.

Do the DHSS still help people, does anybody know?

How elderly? Age uk may know of local charities who can help. Is she on Pension Credit as that may access help via council or discount to dispose of broken items.

The local citizens advice will have access to grants for this very thing, mainly white goods. They will have to do a check on income and expenditure but I am certain they will get one for her, I use them all the time to help my clients at work. She probably also needs to look at pension credit or maybe attendance allowance long term too if that is relevant, citizens advice could help her with that too.

She’s 86.

put a post on local fb page, Nextdoor.co.uk or freecycle.org. Someone will be able to help

Call social / adult services and request support to approach charities / assistance funds. They are out there but you need to know where to look and sometimes need a professional referral

She has a social worker.

The pot of money from the DHSS for this was distributed to local authorities some years ago. She would need to provide financial info bank statements etc to the LA.

I second the suggestions above for both Citizens Advice who have info on charitable or government funds and also Freecycle.

Look up local welfare for your area. My area provide cookers. Fridges. Bed. And washing machine if you have school age children. Proof of financial situation will be required.

I hope she is getting everything she is entitled to financially.

It hasn't been called dhss for thirty years

I worked for the DHSS in the 70s and we did do one-off grants for essentials. The OP's elderly mother might be remembering this.

Around here if you posted on Facebook local/Freecycle type groups someone would definitely come up with an old but functional fridge for free.
Definitely try this.

DHSS was dissolved in 1988.

in short the correct current name is the Department of Health and Social Care.

@SodYouIllGoOnMyOwn can you find out from the lady if she or her husband or parents were ever serving military, if so SSAFA the armed forces charity would undoubtedly be able to support her with white goods, subject to eligibility.

Does she get Attendance Allowance? Also, contact adult social services.

Every Council has a Household Support Fund from central government. Should be easy to check if she is eligible and apply

www.gov.uk/cost-living-help-local-council

i work in social care. No need to call CAB the information will be on the LA website

Some councils have financial inclusion officers who can check that people are getting the correct benefits and help that they are entitled to, and who can help people to make a claim.

If you look on your local Freecycle you can probably replace the lot for nothing. People are always getting rid of fully functional appliances.

Definitely try Freecycle etc, especially for a fridge freezer.

Plus a benefit check is obviously required, if she doesn't have a private pension, she'll be entitled to pension credit and help with rent if she's not a homeowner.

But it is likely worth going through her expenditure because, as a housebound pensioner, her income should comfortably cover her needs with money to spare, which would suggest that as well as her not getting all the benefits she's entitled to, some of her bills might be higher than they need to be. Insurance is a common one - if she's just renewed her home insurance, they often just whack it up. Plus she might be building credit up with her utilities, or paying water rates on a family sized home, when she'd pay far less on a meter. Reducing those sorts of bills will mean she has spare money to replace her white goods.

If she can't stretch to a cooker just yet, a decent air fryer and a replacement microwave will be really helpful.

What is she doing for food at the moment? Does she have carers?

Do why aren't they dealing with this?

Absolutely ensure that the social worker is liaising with the relevant contacts at the local authority responsible for allocating the HSF. They should already be in the loop - bit rubbish if they don’t! A third of the HSF is for pensioners and def for white goods etc. The HSF has been extended for the 2025/26 financial year. HTH

Thanks everyone. I will ask the social worker if she can approach the HSF to ask for some help.

Does it matter we all knew what she meant

There are definitely charities who can help. Some who specifically give money for essential items like white goods. They usually need a professional referral but the social worker can do that. Or go to Age UK or CAB for the referral.

Have a look at the Turn2Us grants search, I just did it (because I’m bored at a swimming lesson) and with minimal details several came up, including the one I was thinking of.