Helping all families maximise their income and claim what they’re entitled to is a key priority for the City of Wolverhampton Council especially during the current cost of living crisis.

The Financial Wellbeing team is holding regular events at various venues across the city for everyone, but also recently attended Pennfields School’s Summer Festival to highlight support available for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

The team along with the community chefs funded by the council and partners including Severn Trent Water, focused on helping families with SEND understand what help is available to them.

More than 250 people turned out to enjoy raffles, stalls, face painting and games, as well as the community chefs giving advice and demonstrations of how to enjoy tasty, but healthy meals on a budget.

The council was keen to ensure families can do everything possible to maximise their incomes, making sure they claim all the right benefits.

There was also advice on the digital tool Kuppa, which the council is the first in the country to offer on a pilot basis to residents to help make improvements to homes to keep them warmer and cut energy bills.

Acting Leader of the council, Councillor Stephen Simkins said:

‘We’re determined to help all of our residents through these difficult times and are staging our own regular events and attending others across the city to give tailored advice no matter what people’s circumstances.

‘We need to help people access all they’re entitled to receive to get through this cost of living crisis now, but we also want to help people build up their financial resilience for years to come. Helping with budgeting skills, cooking healthier affordable meals and better insulating homes are just a few of the things which will have long lasting effects on our residents’ futures.’

The Financial Wellbeing team will provide on-going support at Pennfields School and will return in October for another event.

Keep an eye on our social media for all our cost of living events, but also find out what’s available now on our dedicated cost of living webpages www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/cost-of-living-support