Thousands of hard-up households can now apply for £300 to help with bills and living costs

THOUSANDS of households can now apply for up to £300 free cash – here’s how.

Families struggling with the cost of living can claim free money to help tide them over via the Government’s Household Support Fund (HSF), which has been extended until September this year.

The cash is handed out to councils by the Government, and each area gets a different portion of the funding depending on the size of the population and demand.

West Berkshire Council has been allocated around £695,000 by the Government for hard-up households in the local area.

Roughly £253,000 of this has been set aside for households to claim direct support.

That means each family could claim £300 free cash, or £150 for an individual.

Households can only claim one grant during each funding period.

There is other support certain households may be able to benefit from, too.

For example, another £252,000 has been allocated to provide free school meal vouchers for 4,200 young children for four weeks over the summer holidays.

Meanwhile £30,000 has been set aside for young carers and those leaving care; £10,000 will go towards providing free hot meals for those in emergency accommodation and £20,000 will help supply essential items for residents in need, like appliances.

And £15,000 will be allocated to local charities to help them provide food and energy support.

You’ll usually need to be on a low income to qualify for the help. Check with the council if you’re not sure whether you’re eligible.

Denise Graines, executive member for housing at West Berkshire Council, said: “After carefully reviewing the challenges our communities face and considering the impact on residents and the organisations supporting them, we’re implementing measures to ensure quicker access to direct support when it’s most needed.

“We strongly encourage residents not to suffer in silence but to reach out for assistance if they need it.

“The council, alongside numerous supporting organisations, stands ready to provide aid and support.”

Some councils will make payouts automatically and others will require you to fill in an application form.

West Berkshire residents can apply by visiting https://www.westberks.gov.uk/article/38537/Apply-for-the-Household-Support-Fund.

You need to provide the following, or your application might be rejected:

• declaration of household income and expenditure
• one full month’s bank statement for all accounts
• confirmation of any savings
• recent utility bill or evidence of a West Berkshire Address
• if you are applying for a family household payment, the number of children in the household must be evidenced, i.e through Universal Credit /Child Benefit

You might also need to supply evidence of utility debts or other supporting documents – try to provide whatever is requested.

What help can I get if I don’t live in West Berkshire?

Most councils offer their own forms of support in one way or another, so it’s worth checking with yours to see what you could get.

For example, households in Herefordshire can get up to £500 free cash depending on their circumstances and level of need.

Meanwhile, Medway Council in Kent is offering thousands of hard-up households supermarket vouchers worth up to £225 to help with food costs.

And families in Cornwall can claim up to £80 per child in cash support, so if you have three kids you could claim £240.

You can find what council area you fall under by using the Government’s council locator tool on its website, or you can ring them if you can’t find it online.

If you are already receiving benefits, these will not be affected by any support from the HSF.

There should be information on your local council’s website about how to apply for support and what its eligibility criteria is.

Some councils will contact eligible locals directly.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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