Lancashire residents are being urged to tap into a number of schemes that have been bolstered by new funding to support the most vulnerable people this winter.

Lancashire County Council has distributed almost £900,000 to a range of existing initiatives that provide support to people as part of its response to the rising cost of living.

This includes a £132,000 contribution to the Under One Roof scheme, run by Social Enterprise Lancashire Network (Selnet), which provides essential items and help to residents with no other means of support.

The additional funds have helped to pay for the provision of additional items including floor covering, bedding packs, kettles, pans, crockery and cutlery packs for those in immediate need.

These items are distributed by local charities such as Gift 92 in Fulwood, Emmaus in Preston and Open Door Furniture Recycling in Nelson.

Liz Tapner, chief executive of Selnet, said: “The services we offer are a real lifeline to many individuals and families in Lancashire.

“We are so pleased the services have been enhanced ahead f what we know will be a difficult winter for many.

“The team are able to help in a number of ways so don’t hesitate to get in touch now.”

Another service to receive additional funding is the Improving pension benefits uptake service, which got a £348,000 injection from the county council.

This service contacts over-75s and asks them to apply for a free and confidential benefits check to ensure they are claiming everything they are entitled to.

Additionally, Independent Community Advocacy Network North (ICANN), a charitable organisation empowering and supporting people across Lancashire, has received £170,000 for two projects.

ICANN’s Form-Filling Project helps residents fill in their forms for disability-related benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), while its Benefits Assessment and Appeals Advocacy Service supports residents at their PIP and work capability health assessments and appeal tribunals.

A £75,000 contribution was also made to Citizens Advice in Preston to deliver the British Gas Energy Trist Fuel Debt Project (BGET) over the 12 Lancashire County Council districts.

The service supports those in financial difficulty, with a focus on gas and electricity debt. The additional money will allow for increased capacity to process more referrals for specialist fuel debt advice.

On top of this, Lancashire County Council have doubled their usual allocation to the affordable warmth scheme to £1 million. The scheme, working with Cosy Homes, provides access to home energy support such as boiler and insulation measures.

The allocation to the Lancashire Community Food Grant Scheme, which is aimed at local organisations within the voluntary, community and faith sector that delivers projects to tackle food insecurity, has also been increased to £250,000 for 2022/23.

Cllr Michael Green, cabinet member for health and wellbeing at Lancashire County Council, said: “To help Lancashire residents this winter, we have taken a number of steps that build on the significant support provided by the Government.

“We recognise that there are many organisations offering vital support to people who really need it, and we want to maximise the uptake of these existing initiatives.

“These initiatives, such as the Under One Roof scheme, are a real lifeline to many people in Lancashire and I cannot thank the people behind them enough for the valuable work they do.”