Thousands of hard-up households offered £150 cost of living cash – can you get payment direct to your bank account?
THOUSANDS of hard-up households can get their hands on £150 cost of living cash – but you’ll need to be quick.
The help comes via the Household Support Fund which is worth £421million.
The fund has been extended multiple times with councils in England having to allocate their latest share by the end of September.
What you can get depends on where you live, as each local authority has been given its own unique amount.
Hastings Borough Council in East Sussex is handing out payments worth £150 to thousands of residents.
It is understood the fund could be closed as soon as next week though so you should apply soon if you qualify.
The council has said funding will be shared with residents who are struggling to pay for food, energy and water bills.
Who is eligible, how will the money be paid and how can I apply?
You have to be 18 or over, living in the Hastings Borough Council area and with less than £6,000 in savings and investments.
You must also be struggling to pay for food, energy or water bills.
On top of this, you must be receiving Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and/or Universal Credit with housing costs.
You will also qualify if you don’t receive Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and/or Universal Credit with housing costs but are having to pay for rent, council tax or a mortgage.
If you are eligible, a one-off award of £150 will be paid directly into your bank account.
You can apply for the fund via Hasting Borough Council’s website.
If you need help applying, you can visit Hasting Heart’s Community Info Hub in the town.
Its opening hours are Wednesday to Friday 10am to 4pm, and Saturdays 10am to 1pm.
Can I get help if I don’t live in Hastings?
Most likely, yes. The £421million pot has been shared between councils in England, but not equally.
How has the Household Support Fund evolved?
THE Household Support Fund was first launched in October 2021 to help Brits pay their way through winter amid the cost of living crisis.
Councils up and down the country got a slice of the £500million funding available to dish out to Brits in need.
It was then extended for a second time in the 2022 Spring Budget and for a third time in October 2022 to help those on the lowest incomes with the rising cost of living.
The DWP then confirmed a fourth extension of the scheme through to March 31, 2024.
Chancellor Jeremey Hunt extended the HSF for the fifth time while delivering his Spring Budget on March 6, 2024.
Each local authority gets to decide its own eligibility criteria too.
That means what you can get, and whether you qualify, depend on where you live.
Some councils started distributing help in April and have already depleted their share, so you might have missed out for now.
The Household Support Fund has been extended multiple times since its inception in October 2021, so it may be extended again though.
There are currently a number of councils offering help via the HSF.
Leicestershire Council is handing out payments worth £300 to thousands of households.
Households in Stockport can claim up to £315 worth of free supermarket vouchers to help with the cost of living.
Meanwhile, Wokingham Council is handing out grants worth up to £140.
If you want to check if you are eligible for help, contact your local council.
You can find what council area you fall under by using the Government’s council locator tool.
How else to get help with the cost of living
If you’re not eligible for the Household Support Fund in your local area, it’s worth checking if you qualify for benefits.
Recent figures from Policy in Practice reveal millions of people aren’t claiming the extra help when they could be.
In total, £23billion went unclaimed over the last financial year, with £8.3billion worth of Universal Credit not claimed for.
You can apply for benefits on the Government’s website.
It’s not just extra money you get from benefits either, with a number opening up additional perks.
Those on Universal Credit can get help covering the cost of childcare, for example, while those on Pension Credit can get a free TV licence.
Those on the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit also qualify for the Warm Home Discount – a £150 discount off energy bills once a year.
You may also be able to get grants to cover your energy bills if you’ve fallen into arrears.
A number of energy firms offer grants to struggling customers, including Scottish Power, Octopus Energy and British Gas.
If you’re struggling to pay your bills, speak to your supplier to see if they can give you any help.
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