Hundreds of Norfolk pensioners in danger of losing their winter fuel payments will now receive the money - after council bosses analysed data to identify people who should still get it.
And council leaders say thousands more people across the county are potentially entitled to benefits which would mean they can still get the tax-free payment of between £100 and £300.
What is happening to winter fuel payments?
Winter fuel payments were introduced in 1997 to help eligible pensioners meet the costs of heating their homes in winter, but the new Labour government is removing it for about 10 million people.
That includes an estimated 225,000 people in Norfolk and Waveney.
But people who get pension credit or some other means-tested benefits, including universal credit, will still be entitled to the payment.
The government asked councils to help make sure people were claiming what they were entitled to - and some have scored major successes.
How people have been helped
Officers at South Norfolk and Broadland councils have telephoned or written to people who could be entitled to pension credit, after using analysis known as the Low Income Family Tracker (LIFT) to identify people.
That has led to 89 residents being helped to make pension credit claims which would entitle them to winter duel payments - on top of a further 174 households assisted in claiming their entitlements over the past two years.
Graham Minshull, cabinet member for communities at Conservative-controlled South Norfolk Council, said: "We know some people, especially the elderly can feel uncomfortable about asking for help, so following the government's changes to the winter fuel allowance, we have contacted every resident entitled to pension credit to make sure they don’t miss out.
"We have only been able to do this because we have invested in new technologies, but the council will need more help from the government if we are to continue that investment."
READ MORE: How did Norfolk MPs vote over winter fuel payment cut?
Norwich City Council says its analysis has found some 2,000 people in the city could be entitled to pension credit.
Adam Giles, the Labour-led council's cabinet member for a Fairer Norwich, said: "We've identified over 2,000 Norwich residents who could be eligible for pension credit and are writing to them directly, urging them to apply before the deadline in December."
The council is hosting a drop-in session at the city's Castle Quarter shopping mall on Friday, October 18 to provide more advice.
Other councils, such as Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Breckland Council and North Norfolk District Council have used social media and promotional material to encourage people to apply for pension credit.
Conservative-controlled Great Yarmouth is writing to residents who get housing benefits urging them to apply for pension credit.
Liberal Democrat-run North Norfolk Council says its targeted campaigns have helped 76 households to claim pension credit, while its financial inclusion team have secured the benefit for a further 33 households.
West Norfolk Council has been going through its benefit records to identify people who may be eligible for pension credit.
The Conservative-controlled authority has sent letters to 211 residents to encourage them to claim pension credit, giving them details of how to apply.
The council says a number of the people contacted are now receiving pension credit.
The borough council has also been highlighting pension credit during community events and on social media.
Why are winter fuel payments being removed?
The government said it needed to make the changes to save £1.4bn and close the gap between the previous government’s spending plans and the money available to fund them.
But the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Greens have called for a rethink.
And the move is also unpopular among some Labour members.
Delegates at the party’s annual conference backed a union motion calling for the cut to be reversed.
However, that vote is not binding on the government and chancellor Rachel Reeves has made clear the policy will not be changed.
For more details and to apply for pension credit visit www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim
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