Author: Clerk

Universal Credit – Help and Support

PLEASE SEE BELOW FROM SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL

Universal Credit: available support

Changes are being made to the Universal Credit system this month which will see the temporary £20 a week uplift to payments coming to an end. The uplift was introduced by the Government in response to the pandemic and ended on 6 October, when Universal Credit payments returned to their pre-pandemic levels. With that in mind, we thought it would be useful to set out the support that is available from us to residents who may be facing financial hardship.

Residents finding it difficult to transition back to previous Universal Credit payment levels should contact us as soon as possible so that we can discuss the support that we may be able to provide. There are a range of options for those struggling financially, including:

  • Discretionary Housing Payments which provide financial support towards housing costs. You can apply for these Discretionary Housing Payments here
  • The Council Tax Hardship Fund, which aims to provide support to those who are struggling financially because of the pandemic. You can apply for this Hardship Fund here
  • Support and advice from our Welfare and Money Maximisation Officer, Lucy Tompkins, who can be contacted via lucy.tompkins@scambs.gov.uk
  • Signposting to external support and advice agencies
  • Along with Cambridgeshire County Council and partners, we also still offer a one-off small payment to help with immediate food of fuel needs. Anyone needing that one-off help should email our communities team.

Email our Benefits team if you have specific questions or call 03450 450 061. Residents on Universal Credit can also seek financial advice and support via Citizens Advice. This should be accessed via a referral from their work coach at DWP Cambridge.

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce invite you to a business lunch event

  View in browser   Contact South Cambs Business Support Team   Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce are hosting a lunch event next Wednesday and would like to offer you up to four free places to attend.

The event is for businesses in South Cambridgeshire that trade internationally or are considering it.

The event will take place at Holiday Inn Cambridge on Wednesday 29 September from 11.45am to 2.00pm.

A two-course lunch will be provided.

Speakers include: Vic Annells, Chief Executive, Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce
Adele Gritten, Business and Economic Development Team Leader at South Cambs District Council who will talk about the support available for South Cambs businesses
Karen Cash, International Trade Team Leader at Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, who will advise on the latest changes for trading with Egypt, new international trade training courses being delivered by the Chamber and the services provided by the team including customs declarations, transit declarations, ATA Carnets, and export documentation. Karen will also be available to take any questions you may have.

To confirm your place, please email Sadie Parr with the names of who will be attending.     Business Support South Cambridgeshire District Council South Cambs Hall Cambourne Business Park Cambourne  CB23 6EA
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Volunteer School Appeals Panel Members

Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council are looking for Volunteer School Appeals Panel Members – this is an interesting opportunity for someone who has an interest in school admissions.   

They encourage and welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds – full training will be provided.  Detailed information about the role and an application form are attached.   

Recruitment-Advert-2
Panel-Member-Application-Form-2

Neighbourhood Watch – Neighbour of the Year Awards 2021

THE SEARCH IS ON FOR THE UK’S BEST NEIGHBOUR!

 People across the UK are being invited to take part in our annual hunt for the UK’s ‘Neighbour of the Year’ – a nationwide search undertaken in partnership by Co-op Insurance and Neighbourhood Watch.

Now in its fourth year, 2021 sees the introduction of a new category: Community of the Year. This award will celebrate the nation’s most outstanding community (could be a street, a sports club, a faith collective, or anything in between, either in person or virtual, such as a WhatsApp, Facebook, or Slack group) and the lengths its members have gone to to support others and make a real difference. 

To nominate your Neighbour of the Year, Young Neighbour of the Year (for people aged 21 years and under) or Community of the Year, and to find out more about these very special awards please visit coop.co.uk/noty.

If you have any questions get in touch with us via enquiries@ourwatch.org.uk.

We can’t wait to see the nominations!

Best wishes

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH NETWORK, Central Support Team
Follow us.. ourwatch.org.uk / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn
Neighbourhood Watch Network is a charity registered in England & Wales, CIO no: 1173349

County Council flood prevention survey

As part of the County Council’s Community Flood Action Programme, ‘Riparian’ guidance is to be updated to make it more useful for those who have a watercourse on their land. As part of this work, they want to better understand what residents and landowners currently understand about responsibilities of maintaining watercourses (ditches, streams etc.) on private land. A short survey (5 questions) has been published, and we are helping to promote this to residents. If you would be willing to share our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram posts within your communities, that would be helpful. Alternatively, you can access or share the survey using this direct link. The deadline to respond is 30 September. You can find out more about Riparian ownership on the County Council’s website

Neighbourhood Alert – Cold Caller Warning

We’re warning people to be vigilant after cold callers targeted an elderly and vulnerable woman who then paid more than £1000 for unnecessary work.

The woman was called by a ‘home savings’ company offering boiler services, citing better energy efficiency and a £500 saving.

She was then quoted a price of £1,200 for a boiler flush, and was visited at her home in Peterborough by men who hit her radiators with hammers and showed her bottles supposedly containing dirty remnants/water from the radiators.

The woman was then presented with a card machine and paid the money.

As the colder part of the year approaches, please remain wary of similar calls and remember if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If you aren’t expecting to hear from a salesperson or business, be cautious of your dealings with them. Do not feel pressured into handing over money or bank account details to pay for a product or service that you weren’t planning to buy before they called or arrived at your door.

For more advice and information on fraud and cold callers, visit the force’s dedicated web pages by clicking here.

Thank you,
Tara Cox, Corporate Communications