Residents struggling with the cost of living will be able to access free gifts and affordable produce at a community event in Withernsea.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council said its Help for Households drop-in event would also offer advice on saving money and staying warm.

The event is being held at the town’s leisure centre on Wednesday 25 September, from 10:00 BST to 15:00.

Councillor Nigel Wilkinson, the authority’s cabinet member for finance and governance, said: “We’re aware that many people across the East Riding are struggling with the ongoing cost of living crisis and are making active efforts to support those in need.”

The council said people could get advice on schemes available to help with heating costs ahead of autumn and winter, while eligible households can also get help with loft and cavity wall insulation.

The authority also said there would be affordable produce available to buy, a heated gilet giveaway and free SIM cards and mobile data.

There will also be advice on benefits available to residents on how to reduce bills.

Wilkinson added: “The council has already helped local residents to claim more than £3.8m in benefits in the past year.

”We highly encourage interested residents in Withernsea to attend the drop-in event and find out more about the support for which they may be eligible.”

Residents unable to attend can learn more about the support schemes available by contacting the council.

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Would-be car buyers considering ditching petrol for electric tend to fret – not always correctly – about higher upfront costs, access to chargers and whether their battery will last on long journeys.

But Keir Starmer has an unusual obstacle to making the switch – Britain’s largest carmaker has claimed electric vehicles (EVs) do not offer adequate bomb protection.

The prime minister’s armoured Range Rover Sentinels will need to remain as petrol versions for the foreseeable future, according to their manufacturer, Jaguar Land Rover.

JLR addressed the issue in written responses to a government consultation on EV sales rules. The documents – obtained by Fast Charge, a newsletter covering electric cars, and shared with the Guardian – detailed how JLR and other carmakers lobbied the UK government to weaken targets requiring them to sell more EVs each year.

JLR said armoured cars should be excluded from the targets, known as the zero emission vehicle mandate, because it “does not see any workable engineering solution to the challenges surrounding an armoured BEV [battery EV], primarily because the required safety levels and blast protection cannot be achieved”.

Armoured vehicles are a small but very profitable business for carmakers. They usually have bulletproof glass, armour plating, and “bomb blankets” under the floor, adding hundreds of kilograms of weight to already heavy cars.

It is unclear what specific vulnerabilities the maker of Jaguar and Land Rover cars sees in armoured electric vehicles, although potential issues could include the reduction in range from the extra weight and the time needed to recharge.

However, its German rival BMW does not appear to share those worries: its electric i7 Protection saloon offers “special armouring” in the floor and ceiling to protect against explosives on the ground and those carried by drones.

JLR said the UK government was the main customer in Britain for its armoured vehicles. The vehicles are built at the company’s site at Solihull in the West Midlands and then converted by its special vehicle operations department.

Precise specifications of Starmer’s fleet of Range Rover Sentinels are not public to avoid aiding potential attackers, but they are understood to have 5-litre V8 engines, designed to allow the heavy cars to speed off if threatened.

The prime ministerial fleet also includes non-electric, German-made armoured Audi A8 saloon cars, which replaced the Jaguar XJ after that model was discontinued.

Tom Riley, the author of the Fast Charge newsletter, said: “This is the first time I’ve come across ‘blast anxiety’ as an excuse not to switch. Clearly, it’s a valid concern, but it does mean the prime minister could be the last Brit to go electric.”

For motorists who do not need to worry about bomb attacks, overall lifetime costs for electric cars are significantly lower on average, while “range anxiety” should not be a problem for those who rarely make journeys longer than 200 miles and live in places where charging facilities are increasingly common, such as the UK, western Europe or parts of the US.

JLR declined to comment.