The move to Universal Credit

Information From the UK Government –

Universal Credit is a single monthly payment to help with your housing and living costs and provides support if you are working and on a low income, looking for work or unable to work.

The following benefits and tax credits, for working age claimants and some pension age claimants, are ending and will be replaced by Universal Credit:

• Housing Benefit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Since April 2024, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have been writing to some people who receive these benefits to let them know that they need to claim Universal Credit instead. Follow this link to find out when you will receive your letter 

You will not be moved automatically to Universal Credit.  Therefore, it is important that you do not do anything until you receive your letter. This letter called a ‘Migration Notice’, will explain what you need to do and when. It also provides information on the help available to continue receiving support from the government.  

Once you’ve received your Universal Credit Migration Notice letter, you will need to make a claim for Universal Credit to continue to get financial support. There will be a deadline in your letter. This is 3 months from the date the letter was sent out.

The council’s website provides guidance on what to do when you receive your Migration Notice | Sheffield City Council

Your current benefits will end as soon as you submit your claim for Universal Credit and you will not be able to go back to your existing benefit once you have claimed.

The deadline for moving people on the above benefits, to Universal Credit, is December 2025, but if affected you could be contacted any time before that date.

If you are of pension age then you are not affected – unless you are a pension age tax credit claimant or your spouse or partner you live with is still of working age.

If you need help with your Universal Credit application or you are concerned about managing your income prior to receiving your first Universal Credit payment, follow this link for full details of the various types of support and independent advice available to you.

If you are claiming Universal Credit and have concerns about paying your rent then please contact us for advice, on 0114 2930000, and we can discuss your circumstances.

Find out more

Parks, Woodlands and Green Spaces in Sheffield. Tell us what you think!

As part of our commitment to maintaining and improving your Parks, Woodlands and Green Spaces in the future, we need to find out about how you currently use our sites, what you think of our service.  We have also added a few questions on Nature Emergency and the role we can all play to support nature’s recovery in Sheffield.

We would be really grateful if you would take a few minutes to answer our questions. Your responses will help us understand how you feel about our Parks, Woodlands and Green Spaces. Your feedback will also help us to see what we can do to improve our sites in the future.

The more people who complete the survey, the more meaningful the results will be and it would be really valuable to get a range of participants to respond.

The survey should take about 5 to complete.  Please make the most of this opportunity to have your say

Follow this link to the project page where you can take the survey.

The survey closes on 19th April 2024

Lovely Fishponds, Richmond

Many locals are very fond of the Fishponds in Richmond and have memories of pond dipping or taking a break to sit in the peaceful grounds and watch the local wildlife. Over the years the pond, located on the corner of Richmond Road and Hastillar Road South, has filled with silt and reeds (and sadly often rubbish too) which has saddened many who would love to see it restored to be loved once again by the community and wildlife alike. Local Richmond Councillors in the East Local Area Committee have assigned a portion of the neighbourhood Community Infrustructure Levy fund, to clear the pond of silt and reeds. A group of interested locals wish to form a group to care for the pond and see it brought back to its former glory. Would you be interested in joining the new group, Lovely Fishponds, or would you like to keep in touch about volunteering opportunities to bring the site? Please email lovelyfishponds@gmail.com to stay in touch – Facebook Page to follow shortly.

Sector Routeways: Early Years Course

Participants will cover:

• Communication in the workplace appropriate to the sector.
• Getting to know the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework statutory requirements.
• Understanding the role of Safeguarding in early years, what this means and what it looks like.
• Child development- the physical, cognitive, emotional and social growth that occurs throughout a child and young person’s life.
• Early years practice and curriculum, supporting children aged 0-5 to reach their full potential.
• Working with parents and developing parental partnerships – helping them to understand and support their child’s development in the early years setting and the home learning environment.
• Exploring different types of early years provision.
• Insights into the early years sector through meeting some of our early years providers who will share their experiences.
• The role of Ofsted (including their role in being the regulatory body).

Registration event:

• Monday 4^th March 2024 11am – 12pm St Marys Church, Bramall Lane Sheffield S2 4QZ

The training will start on:

• Monday 11^th March 2024 9:30am – 2:30pm for 10 days at St Marys Church, Bramall Lane Sheffield S2 4QZ

Eligibility:

• All candidates must be aged 16+, not currently in work or full-time education and have the right to work in the UK.

Please click on our Sector Routeways Padlet for more information about our courses bit.ly/41sEhUt

If you have candidates who are interested simply send an email referral to sectorrouteways@sheffield.gov.uk and we will contact any interested participants and complete an assessment. Please do not send them directly to the registration session.

Remembrance Day 2023

Our East LAC Community Services Officers Abby and Sophie have put the Remembrance Day poppies on lamp posts again this year starting from Mansfield Road all the way down to Duke Street. The poppies run through the South East LAC area carrying on from Mansfield Road, up to Birley Moor Road and all the way down to Mosborough!

We have had some great feedback from residents whilst putting them up and also on social media which is always great to hear. The poppies will remain in place until mid-November, watch out for them again next year!

Thank You East Sheffield!

Thank You East Sheffield

On Thursday 9^th November, the East Local Area Committee held the ‘Thank You East Sheffield’ Awards at Sheffield Town Hall. Local Councillors invited local community groups, organisations and volunteers along for a night of entertainment and pie and peas to say thank you and celebrate the amazing work they do in our communities.

We had the amazing Oliver Harris singing old favourites and Unite the Union Brass Band performing classics for guests on arrival. Sheffield Lord Mayor Colin Ross came along to say hello to the guests and the Chief Executive Kate Josephs also came to say hi!

Two people from each ward received a ‘Special Recognition’ award for the amazing work they do and for the long service and many years they have contributed to their communities.

Thank you to everyone that attended!

New Park Officially Opened on Woodthorpe Ravine

On Wednesday 8^th November, we celebrated the official opening of the new Woodthorpe Ravine playground. The East LAC contributed towards the cost of the playground using Manor Castle and Park & Arbourthorne CIL funding.

The new park certainly compliments the wider surroundings and is already being well used by local children. Benches and a bin were included in the new designs.

The official opening were attended by Green Estate Parks Team Ted Talbot, Sally Cuckney and Jayne Rotherham, Manor Castle Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards, East LAC Community Services Officer Sophie O’Brien, HAGS UK Sales Manager Jo Feasby, SCC Parks & Countryside Project Manager Antony Askins and Prince Edward Primary School Head Teacher, Form Teacher and Pupils.

Manor Fields Bonfire

WOW! What an amazing night we had at the Manor Fields Park Community Bonfire. Months and months of planning all worth it for this very special community event.

We had a dance performance from Pinders Dance, fire dancers from Greentop Community Circus and a giant Stag sculpture created by Handspring Design.

We loved working along side Green Estate, Manor and Castle Development Trust and MASKK this year to plan this event and contribute funding using the Manor Castle and Park & Arbourthorne Ward Pots. Proof that great things can happen when organisations collaborate and work together!

Thanks to all the organisations that donated funds so we could run the event, it wouldn’t have been possible without this money!

• Sheffield City Council ASB team
• Sheffield City Council Youth Services
• South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit
• ACIS Housing
• South Yorkshire Housing Association
• Places for People
• Great Places
• Sanctuary Housing
• Meadowhall
• Britcon

Cost Of Living Breakfast Club in Tinsley

The East Local Area Committee worked with Tinsley Forum to trial a free Breakfast Club at the Tinsley One Stop Shop. It was a chance to drop in to a warm space, grab a bite to eat and speak to a range of advisors who can help with the Cost of Living advice and learn about some of the services on offer in the area.

Helping Hands on Swarcliffe Road, Darnall

Residents on Swarcliffe Road in Darnall approached the East Local Area Committee to talk about life on their street and their desires to make it a cleaner, greener and safer environment. We brought together a number of services to look at making improvements but one action we identified was to hold a small event involving a community litter pick.

On the 24th October, during half term, we opened up the Subud centre on the street and offered lantern making crafts, free food, and of course a chance to pick up a litter picker and make a difference my clearing the street of litter.

Despite the rain we had a great turn out of families and a group of children took up the challenge to tidy their street. They told us they would love to do it again and so we will definitely plan one next year and fingers crossed we pick a drier day.

Special thanks to the Subud Centre for letting us use the their hall, Darnall Well Being, Attercliffe & Darnall Centre of Mission and the African Women’s Health Group for your excellent contributions!