When the temperature drops in Hamilton, the decision between heating and eating is not a hypothetical for thousands of local families. It is a weekly calculation that affects everything from sleep quality to whether children attend school well-rested and fed. Vibrant Health Advocates - Vega was established precisely because this gap between available support and actual uptake was costing people their health.

Our Warm Homes Programme brings together three strands of support that are too often siloed from one another: benefits advice, energy efficiency guidance, and direct health information. By joining these up under one roof — and by taking that joined-up service directly into communities through home visits, drop-in sessions at local venues, and outreach in GP waiting rooms — we are reaching households that would otherwise never know what help exists.

The programme works by pairing a trained welfare and benefits adviser with a health outreach worker. Together they conduct a household assessment that looks at income, current benefit entitlements, the thermal efficiency of the home, and any existing health conditions that are worsened by cold and damp. That combination is crucial. A household might qualify for a boiler replacement through the Scottish Government's Warmer Homes Scotland scheme, but without someone to help them navigate the application, that entitlement goes unclaimed.

Since the programme launched, we have supported over two hundred Hamilton households to access the Fuel Insecurity Fund, emergency heating grants through local authority crisis funds, and Priority Services Register status with their energy supplier — a simple registration that guarantees additional protections for vulnerable customers during supply disruptions. We have also helped families claim backdated benefits they were entitled to but had never applied for, with an average award of over £1,400 per household.

The health outcomes matter as much as the financial ones. Cold homes are directly linked to respiratory conditions, cardiovascular disease, and worsening mental health. For children, living in a cold damp property increases the risk of asthma and recurring chest infections. For older residents and those with long-term conditions, the risks are more acute still. Our health outreach workers can refer directly into NHS Lanarkshire pathways, meaning a visit from our team can trigger a clinical review that might otherwise have been missed.

If you or someone you know in Hamilton is struggling with heating costs or unsure what benefits they are entitled to, our service is free, confidential, and available year-round. You do not need a referral — you can call us directly or drop into one of our community sessions. Warm homes are not a luxury. They are a foundation for everything else.