HUNDREDS of households missing out on a winter fuel payment can apply for £200 to cover energy bills within weeks.

The help comes via the latest round of the Household Support Fund which is worth £421million.

The fund is designed to help hard-up households cover the cost of living, mostly through cash grants, supermarket and energy vouchers.

Each council across England has been allocated a share of the £421million pot and decides who to distribute money to.

North Devon Council has set aside £200,000 for pensioners receiving a council tax reduction but not pension credit.

The local authority said just under 1,000 pensioner households will receive £200 grants, the BBC reports.

Councillors in North Devon have expressed concern the roughly 1,000 who don’t qualify for pension credit could struggle to cover their energy bills this winter.

It comes after the Government changed the eligibility criteria for the winter fuel payment meaning only those on certain benefits, including pension credit, will receive the up to £300 payment.

We have asked North Devon Council how the £200 payments will be made, and when, and will update this story when we have heard back.

Eligible residents will be able to apply in the next few weeks via the council’s website.

What about if I don’t live in North Devon?

You should be able to get help via the Household Support Fund if you don’t live North Devon.

Each council across England has been allocated a share from the £421million pot.

But each local authority gets to decide its own eligibility criteria.

That means what you are entitled to will vary depending on where you live.

Not all councils have decided what they will do with their share of the £421million yet either.

The best thing to do is contact your local authority to see if any help is currently on offer.

You can find what council area you fall under by the using the Government’s council locator tool via gov.uk.

The Sun recently shared a guide and interactive map to help those unsure figure out what they may be able to claim.

Other help on offer

If you’re not eligible for the Household Support Fund, you might be able to get a grant from your energy firm to cover energy debt.

British Gas is handing out grants worth £1,700 to struggling households through its Individual and Families Fund.

The fund is available to British Gas and non-British Gas customers living in England, Scotland or Wales.

You won’t be eligible if you received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust within the last two years.

And you must be seeking a grant to clear outstanding debt on a current or open gas, electricity or dual fuel energy account.

Crucially, you also need to have received help from a money advice agency within the last six months.

If you don’y qualify for help with British Gas, a number of other energy firms offer help to customers struggling with energy bill debt.

This includes OVO, Boost, E.On, E.On Next, EDF, Scottish Power, Octopus, Shell Energy, SSE and Utilita.

How has the Household Support Fund evolved?

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The Household Support Fund was first launched in October 2021 to help Brits pay their way through winter amid the cost of living crisis.

Councils up and down the country got a slice of the £421million funding available to dish out to Brits in need.

It was then extended in the 2022 Spring Budget and for a second time in October 2022 to help those on the lowest incomes with the rising cost of living.

The DWP then confirmed a third extension of the scheme through to March 31, 2024.

Former chancellor Jeremy Hunt extended the HSF for the fourth time while delivering his Spring Budget on March 6, 2024.

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In September 2024, the Government announced a fifth extension.

ANGRY neighbours say a derelict house on a town’s most “prestigious street” has been abandoned for 20 years – and left looking like a bombsite.

Residents have demanded a landlord sell the home in Swindon, Wiltshire, after it’s become a major eyesore.

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They are also calling for urgent repairs on the property and for it to be taken over by the council after complaints of inaction against the landlord.

One neighbour Chris Evans, 67, says the shuttered, graffitied and burnt building is a damning indictment on the town.

He wants something urgently done about the house under the council’s empty homes scheme after it has sat unoccupied for at least 20 years.

Chris said: “This is one of the most prestigious roads in Swindon and for the council to allow that to happen is pretty disgraceful.”

A view from a neighbouring house shows a large crater in the garden and first-floor doors opening into thin air.

The nearby property puts off potential tenants and Chris believes it is damaging his business.

Another nearby resident Agne said: “It has become some sort of like freakish attraction for people to have a laugh and point at.”

The house is not only said to be unsightly but also dangerous.

Agne has lived next door for 10 years and has seen squatters living there.

She said: “You don’t know if you are going to be attacked walking home.

“If that house goes on fire straight away it will spread into our house.

“This house needs to be knocked down. The council needs to get involved.”

Latest pictures show an empty former garage, a large hole that fills with water and smashed windows and internal brickwork left exposed.

The garden and house were left in this state after an extension was demolished.

The work also reportedly caused “awful smelling” raw sewage and gas to leak from the house.

Squatters, fires lit, drug dens and vandalism have all been reported – which have left their visible marks on the house.

The chief executive of the council Samantha Mowbray has admitted that Swindon Borough Council does not have enough money to do the work itself.

The owner was contacted but refused to comment.

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Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

PENNY* JOHNSON was horrified when she became responsible for a family friend suffering with dementia – and quickly realised he was falling victim to scams on a regular basis.

Penny took in neighbour Michael, who she had known for 50 years, when his health began to deteriorate after being diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

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Mike’s health deteriorated after his wife died, leaving him distraught.

“That was really when I got involved. Up until then I popped in to see them every now and again and we led different lives, but when Jane died, she asked me if I would look after Mike,” she said.

“But things started to deteriorate and he was soon being scammed by people coming to the door and trying to lay a new driveway, he would lose his keys and he had a few rogue locksmiths.

“Then, a couple of years ago, he started getting some quite nasty scam phone calls, like trying to get him to pay his gas and electricity.

“We looked together at his bank statement and realised money was coming out left right and centre – several thousand pounds had disappeared.”

It was then that Penny looked into how she could get help protecting Mike’s finances.

She contacted charity The Alzheimer’s Society, and they suggested a new type of card by a firm called Sister.

Sibstar is a debit card and app for people with dementia and their carers. It allows the carer to help manage the person they are caring for’s every-day spending.

So, if the person makes a transaction, the carer can review it and figure out if they’re being taken advantage of, or are overspending by accident.

“From then, when Mike tried to give out his card details, it didn’t work,” Penny said.

“For example, he was charged £57 for a trip that should have only cost him £5 or £6 – but I got a notification from the Sibstar app, and I realised he had been overcharged by mistake.

“He wouldn’t have realised that, but I was able to sort it out for him.”

With Sibstar, you can also switch off the ability to withdraw from an ATM, as that is a classic way scammers target people for their cash.

“If he needs cash, I take him to the ATM and we can go and get some if he needs it,” Penny said.

“We kept the contactless so he can be independent and do his own shopping, but we’ve blocked using it online, which is where he lost thousands of pounds.” 

What is Sibstar?

Sibstar was created by Jane Sibley, who watched her own mum suffer from dementia and start erratically spending her money.

She would forget she’d bought things, accidentally overspend, and would even withdraw large amounts of money several times away and hand them out to people on the street.

The CEO of Sibstar, who lives in Southampton wanted to create something to help prevent this while allowing the personal with dementia the dignity to remain financially independent.

“It is critical that people with dementia remain financially included in the world and have the financial tools to allow them to do that,” she said.

Ms Sibley presented her idea on TV show Dragon’s Den earlier this year, where she won a £125,000 investment into growing the business.

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Dragons’ Den investors, Sara Davies and Deborah Meaden backed the business, saying it could “transform lives”.

The business is now backed by the Alzheimer’s Society, which signposts people to its cards.

To use the card and app, there is a £4.99 card set-up fee, and a £4.99 monthly subscription fee.

Withdrawals from an ATM with the card also cost 99p.

However, Sibstar’s website says 7.5% of this goes back to the Alzheimer’s Society.

*Name changed on request

Is it ageing or dementia?

Dementia – the most common form of which is Alzheimer’s – comes on slowly over time.

As the disease progresses, symptoms can become more severe. 

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But at the beginning, the symptoms can be subtle or mistaken for normal memory issues related to ageing.

The US National Institute on Aging gives some examples of what is considered normal forgetfulness in old age, and dementia disease.

You can refer to these above.

For example, it is normal for an ageing person to forget which word to use from time-to-time, but difficulting having conversation would be more indicative of dementia.

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Katie Puckering, Head of Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Information Services team, previously told The Sun: “We quite commonly as humans put our car keys somewhere out of the ordinary and it takes longer for us to find them.

“As you get older, it takes longer for you to recall, or you really have to think; What was I doing? Where was I? What distracted me? Was it that I had to let the dog out? And then you find the keys by the back door.

“That process of retrieving the information is just a bit slower in people as they age.

“In dementia, someone may not be able to recall that information and what they did when they came into the house.

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“What may also happen is they might put it somewhere it really doesn’t belong. For example, rather than putting the milk back in the fridge, they put the kettle in the fridge.”

A DAD has been ordered to tear down his “oppressive” and “overbearing” 10ft-high fence because it’s “too dangerous”.

But neighbours have backed the dad’s plight, after he argued he put it in place outside his home in Longton in 2022 to protect his young family from a “dangerous and crime riddled” area.

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The illegally erected wooden barrier, which stands half the height of the house and dwarves pedestrians walking by, is now subject to enforcement action.

Whilst the householder declined to discuss the fence row, locals rallied around to support his action and branded the council “ridiculous, uncaring and bureaucratic”.

The dad lives in the large house in Longton, near Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, with his wife, young daughter and dog.

He put up the tan panelled fence in 2022 to replace a smaller one and a hedge.

It requires planning permission as it is over a metre height but the householder said he had “no idea” consent was needed.

He put it up at the front of his property on busy Trentham Road, a residential street with rows of shops and small businesses.

He told planners on Stoke-on-Trent City Council he had done so “for the safety of his family”.

But they insist he has to remove it, fearing it could set a precedent with residents taking that “as a free-for-all to put up whatever they wish”.

Locals have hit out at the council for being “so petty”, with hair salon boss Kimberley Grocott, saying: “Who knows what height a fence should be and if it needs planning permission?

“Planners are being ridiculous and very uncaring.

“As a mum of three, and if I was living at that house on a very busy road, I think the fence height is fine. It gives the family privacy.”

Kimberley, 33, who runs KG Hair, which is opposite the semi detached home, told The Sun: “This area is dangerous and crime riddled.

“I don’s see what the issue is. The fence is the same height as the bush at the next door house.”

Kimberley, who revealed she had been the victim of a terrifying attempted armed robbery at her salon in January, added: “Residents and businesses owners must be allowed to protect their properties.

“The council is being so petty.

“The house has a front and back garden and faces the main road. As well as extra protection it gives them protection.

“If the parents are sunbathing in the summer or their kid is running around naked it gives them privacy.”

Kimberly told how a masked raider had entered her premises, while she was tending a client, threatening her at knife point while demanding cash.

She heroically calmed the situation, and he fled.

The 49-year-old local man was later arrested, charged and jailed for six years for armed robbery.

“With the crime going on here everyone is trying to install more security measures,” she added.

Councillors had acted after a complaint from a neighbour about the illegal and “unauthorised” fence which had been erected to replace a lower hedge previously bordering the property.

The fence is three times the height of a legal fence but no planning application was submitted.

Following the sole complaint, the householder submitted a retrospective planning application for a smaller 2.3m fence was but this was subsequently rejected by the authority.

They have now approved enforcement action to remove the fence in line with their officers’ recommendation, who declared it “overbearing in nature and does not relate well to the prevailing character or context of the area” and said that it creates an ‘’oppressive means of enclosure”.

The planning committee had been told that the property owner had erected the fence “for the safety of his family” and did not realise it needed planning consent.

But many locals disagree with the planners’ decision.

A local businesswoman said: “The higher the fence the better.

“The crime rate around here is horrendous and the home owners, who have a young child, want to make sure that no one climbs over into their grounds.

“There is nothing wrong with that fence!”

She added: “Planners are being too bureaucratic. What is the issue? It is the same height as the neighbour’s front hedge and that isn’t being ripped down.”

Her colleague added: “Good on him for putting up a high fence! The only thing i would say is that is could do with a lick of pain or varnish.”

She said: “The rate of crime around here is getting worse. Gangs are walking around the streets in a threatening manner and young lads are being abusive and kicking in doors.”

Cafe owner Susan Brunt said: “The council has rules and regulations but the family has put up a high fence to protect themselves.

“At first when I saw it I thought ‘it’s a little bit high’ but then I got that they had done it for security measures and privacy, and there is nothing wrong with that.”

Her assistant added: “I don’t blame them for having a high fence. The place is full of druggies and burglars.

“Just recently a thief stole a woman’s car which she had left running with her little girl in the back. He drove off in it with the child.”

Retired HGV driver and neighbour Stephen Amison said: “I’ve got no worries with the height of that fence, and I hadn’t even noticed.

“But looking it at I don’t think it is too high. You can never be too safe on a main road.

“I’m 5 feet 10 inches and it is way taller that me but that’s a good thing.

“There’s so much crime, you hear the police sirens going off 25 times a day.”

Planners ruled that not taking action against a clear breach of planning rules would set a dangerous precedent.

Councillor Ross Irving said: “I think it’s pretty clear that we’ve got a duty to uphold what the regulations stipulate.

“This is clearly a breach of those regulations, and I think we have a duty to enforce it, because if we don’t, people will take that as a free-for-all to put up whatever they wish.”

“We have planning conditions for a reason. If we don’t take action on this it sends the wrong message out.”

The council will now serve the property owner with an enforcement notice calling for the fence to be removed.

The house holder declined to comment when contacted by the Sun, with the wife saying: “I am very busy and do not feel the need to discuss this matter.”

We have contacted the council for comment.

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A MUM has vowed to spend her People’s Postcode Lottery winnings with her pals and family as she doesn’t want it sitting in the bank.

Angela Plant, of Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, bagged £333,333 along with another neighbour.

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She then immediately swore to go on a spending spree with her partner, family and friends.

Angela said she would stick a “little bit” away but wanted to spread joy with a wish list of treats that includes a string of exotic holidays and a box at the footie for her partner.

She also wants to pay for a Greek wedding for her eldest son, girls’ trips with her closest friends – and even a Florida trip for her first grandchild, not due until December.

The former secure unit nurse said: “This year has been up and down.

“I’m just going to make sure all my close pals and family are looked after.

“You don’t want profit in the bank, you want to go out and spend it.

“We’ll keep a little bit, but you don’t want to save for a rainy day. You’d be bankrupt with the amount of rain we’ve had.”

Angela has no plans to give up her latest job as a companion in an old folk’s home but she is getting to work on her spending.

That includes making sure her eldest lad Jordan and his wife-to-be Anna Ranch have the wedding of their dreams.

She said: “My oldest son is going to get married in Zante in Greece next year. We’ve paid a bit towards the wedding.”

And she grinned: “I suppose I’ll have to pay it all now!”

The couple are also expecting their first child – a little girl – in a few weeks.

Angela said: “We’ve got our first grandchild on the way, and she is going to be spoiled rotten.

“I’ve always, always wanted to be a grandmother. She is due on the 19th of December. We’ll have a really good Christmas.

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“It’s important to do things as a family. Good memories last forever.

“I’ve got good memories from the past of going with the children to Florida, so I would like to take my granddaughter there.”

She added: “Andrew’s a Leeds United fan. I might get him a box or a season ticket. He hasn’t missed a home game for about 30 years.”

Angela has caught the travel bug and now wants to see even more of the world.

I’m not one for putting it in the bank.

Angela Plant

She said: “I want to see Japan and China and Singapore.

“I’d like to be able to open a map and say, ‘I’d like to go there and there.’ This opens up so many more opportunities.

“We’ve both worked our socks off and this gives us the chance to do a little bit more. I’m not one for putting it in the bank.”

But Angela’s win is tinged with sadness after losing two friends in the past year.

Now she wants to ensure her other pals are given a much-needed lift.

She said: “I’m going to treat my friends. We’ve all been through so much. I’m very, very lucky to have loads of good friends.

“We’ll have a good time spending some of it.”

How to play the People’s Postcode Lottery?

For just £12 a month, players can sign up through the official website to have a chance of winning millions of pounds.

Once signed up, players are automatically entered into every draw and prizes are announced every day of each month.

Tickets play for the Daily Prize, worth £1000 and revealed every single day.

Tickets could also win a jackpot of £30,000 for Saturday and Sunday’s Street Prize draws.

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People’s Postcode Lottery also offers a £3million Postcode Millions draw each month – where your ticket plays for a share of the cash prize fund.

Winners are notified by email, text, post, or phone call, depending on the prize they win.

Jackpot winners are visited by the lottery team in person.

ALDI has announced its latest home fragrances to help interior lovers update scent-scapes for the winter.

With prices starting from £2.99 customers can get their hands on the new collection in the middle aisle from October 17th.

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Described as an “understated option that will look chic in any home”, is the new Quiet Luxury Ceramic Candle, 700g for £8.99.

It’s available in two scents, Cedarwood & Vetiver or Tuberose & Cashmere, with each one said to “evoke warming feelings of calm and serenity”.

Better yet, Aldi says “shoppers can save themselves 87 percent compared to The White Company’s” Ceramic 3 Wick Candle which is priced at a whopping £75.

So, I put them to the test.

Could we really call Aldi’s candle a dupe of The White Company’s?

Aldi’s Quiet Luxury Ceramic Candle

First impressions – it’s chic, it looks expensive.

It comes in a gorgeous stone vessel and I love the engraved Hotel Collection logo on the side, and the name of scent on the lid. Speaking of the lid, it has a rubber seal around it so it traps the scent.

One thing I’ve found with Aldi candles is the scents can be overpowering if there isn’t a lid, but this does the job perfectly.

Onto the scent…Cedarwood and Vetiver.

Cedarwood is an essential oil from various types of conifers aka trees. It is produced from the foliage, and sometimes the wood, roots, and stumps left after logging of trees for timber. It’s typically referred to as quite a musky, masculine smell.

Vetiver, on the other hand – which I have never heard of – is a grass. It has a similar fragrance to lemongrass and citronella.

Aldi’s candle is a cross between dark, musky, woody and fresh lemon, or as I so politely described it as ‘musky lemon dish soap’.

The scent is not my cup of tea personally, however, my boyfriend said it smelt similar to his aftershave, and he really liked it.

As for how well it burnt, getting the wicks to light was a challenge. I used extra long matches and by the time I was on the third wick, the match had nearly run out.

The wicks were really long and thin to begin with, so the flames were smaller meaning the amount of wax burnt was a lot less.

I burnt the candle for two hours – note, the label recommends not letting the candle burn for more than four hours at a time – and around a cm of wax had melted. With a 70 hours burn time (approx), the candle will last a few months if you burnt it every evening.

It was quite strong, filling the room very obviously with the fragrance.

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The White Company’s Ceramic 3 Wick Candle

The White Company’s packaging is just next level – the candle comes in a gorgeous branded box with the lid and vessel securely wrapped.

The vessel is made from smooth bone china, which The White Company says can be reused after the wax has finished.

But the lid doesn’t have a rubber seal, and I quickly noticed the china can mark easily.

The Ceramic 3 Wick Candle comes in several fragrances – Nourish, Calm, Spa Restore, and Sleep. I tried Nourish.

The scent description read “soft and comforting” and the scent notes were Oat, Bergamot and Amber.

Made using the “highest quality mineral wax” – a coconut and paraffin blend – the candle is said to have “soft creamy scent notes of oat and barley combined with bright bergamot and lemon, plus warming amber”.

Customers should be able to “picture the gentle sway of a warm, sunlit wheat field lightly brushed with a fresh citrus breeze” when the scent fills the room.

So when I lit the candle, was I transported to a wheat field surrounded by a citrus breeze? No.

But I was transported to a luxurious seaside beach house bedroom, with the windows open, and curtains blowing in the fresh sea breeze. That was the visual I got when I smelt the candle.

It’s creamy, with a subtle hint of lemon – very spring-like. Very luxurious.

As for how well it burnt – you can tell this is a well-made candle.

The wicks are thick, meaning the flames are larger so more surface area of the candle burns evenly, and you won’t be left with three holes and surrounding wax. And it subtly fills the room with fragrance, it doesn’t overpower.

The verdict?

I think Aldi’s Quiet Luxury Ceramic Candle is a really good product inspired by The White Company’s Ceramic 3 Wick Candle.

But I wouldn’t call it a dupe.

Firstly, the scents are very different. So unless they were the exact same fragrance, they can’t be a dupe.

I prefer The White Company’s fragrance, only because I’m not a fan of musky smells, but everyone likes different scents, and I would be eager to smell Aldi’s Tuberose and Cashmere candle.

Secondly, value for money. Aldi’s candle is only £8.99 – and I honestly was doubtful about how good it was going to be, but I was really impressed. It’s a brilliant product at a brilliant price point.

It’s not made from the most luxurious candle wax, and it doesn’t burn 100% of the wax either, but the packaging is gorgeous, and it would make a brilliant present.

The White Company’s, on the other hand, is just pure luxury. You can tell the ingredients used are expensive and it burns really well, so it is worth the price tag. But, The White Company should take note from Aldi – the rubber seal around the lid is a really great feature.