OVO: a new blueprint for delivering support in the utilities sector

Sunderland City Council's Financial Wellbeing Service has a broad remit: improving access to financial support, advice and guidance for residents across the city, while addressing the link between financial insecurity and wider health inequalities. As Julie Egan, Financial Inclusion Manager, puts it, "financial wellbeing is absolutely part and parcel of people's wider health".

Like many local authorities, Sunderland faces rising demand, tightening eligibility for council-led support schemes, and limited capacity. The challenge was not a lack of commitment or expertise, but how to help residents access a complex and constantly changing support landscape without adding pressure to frontline teams.

Why Sunderland City Council partnered with Lightning Reach to transform financial support

Before working with us, the council used a wide range of channels to signpost their residents to support, but their limitation lay in not knowing the full range of support schemes that were out there, and ensuring information was always up to date. The teams could only promote support they already knew about, and there was always a risk that eligibility had changed or schemes had closed.

Julie explains: "We almost had a bit of a hard stop... We could only tell them what we had, with the caveat of 'please double check because it might now be closed'."

This created risk for trusted partners and frontline workers, who were understandably cautious about sharing information that might undermine their relationship with residents. It also made it harder to encourage self-service confidently. As Julie says, "once you've got that trust there, you don't want to break it, so it's really important to be confident that the information you are giving out is always correct."

Lightning Reach offered Sunderland a way to widen access to support beyond council-funded schemes, while giving teams confidence that information was current, verified and easy for residents to use.

Implementation: simple to start, built to scale

From the outset, signposting residents to find support via Lightning Reach was straightforward. Sunderland embedded Lightning Reach into its existing communications approach, adding it seamlessly to a topical communication calendar and partner conversations. "Lightning Reach just slotted in really seamlessly... it gave us another tool to work with," Julie says.

Since partnering with Sunderland City Council:

• 3,250 Sunderland residents have used Lightning Reach
• £92,000 has been awarded to Sunderland residents directly through the portal, with an additional estimated £110,000 identified via signposting
• £230,000 in benefits eligibility has been identified
• Top support categories include energy and utilities, furniture and appliances, advice, and food and essentials
• Residents take an average of 11 minutes to complete their profile and get matched to support

For the council, Lightning Reach has refreshed an offer that was at risk of becoming static. "The old offer was becoming a little bit stale... this came at a really good time to refresh our overall offer," Julie explains. Importantly, by providing digital, self-serve access, it aligned with Sunderland's wider City Plan, while remaining accessible to residents who might otherwise avoid traditional routes.

Broadening access to financial support and reducing stigma

A key benefit has been Lightning Reach's ability to reach people earlier and more broadly - not just those already in crisis or claiming specific benefits. Julie notes: "Lightning Reach has won over residents who previously did not engage because they didn't think they were eligible for support; there's a real sense that it is truly is for anybody."

This matters for preventative work. Frontline teams in Sunderland now have a simple, non-intimidating way to start conversations about money without committing residents to lengthy assessments or face-to-face appointments. "People who wouldn't walk into an advice provider or pick up the phone can self-serve at any time of day and still get the same level of service," Julie says.

That broader access has also strengthened frontline relationships. One housing support worker, who felt she had exhausted every option for a resident fleeing domestic violence, was able to secure around £400 in shopping vouchers through Lightning Reach just before Christmas. "It absolutely made the difference... it helped that relationship when doors had been shutting everywhere else," Julie explains.

Better insight, better value for money

Beyond outcomes for residents, the partnership has given Sunderland clearer insight into what works. The Lightning Reach dashboard and referral tracking allow the team to follow the journey from promotion through to awards - something that was previously impossible. "Following that customer journey all the way through to the award stage has been an absolute game changer," Julie says.

This has enabled evidence-based decisions about communications strategy and resource, and partner engagement, as they're able to identify and build on the most effective activity. "Now we've got the evidence to back it up," Julie adds.

A message to other councils

Julie speaks regularly with other local authorities and is clear about the value Lightning Reach brings in the current climate. "We are all in the same boat - budgets are getting smaller and eligibility is getting tighter. We need other options for support that we can connect people to."

For Sunderland, Lightning Reach has not replaced council provision; it has amplified it. Her conclusion is simple: "Why wouldn't you get on board with something like Lightning Reach? It's been a game changer."