Hundreds of households could soon be eligible for a £250 cash payment, set to arrive in just a few weeks.
The help comes via the latest round of the Government’s Household Support Fund (HSF) which is worth £421million.
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Households in Canterbury can receive up to £250 to help with food and energy costs.
Residents will have until now September 20 to apply for the scheme.
To be eligible for the fund, you must:
- Live in the Canterbury district (including university students)
- Be 16 or over
- Have a total household income of £40,000 or less – this includes money from employment or benefits
- No more than £1,000 in savings and not have access to any other money to support your situation.
There are three types of support residents can apply for:
- Help with food costs – £250
- Help with energy costs – £250
- Other essentials like period products, clothes and broadband – £250
Households can only apply for one type of support fund.
Can I get help if I don’t live in Canterbury?
You might be able to. The £421million HSF pot has been shared between councils in England, but not equally.
Each local authority also gets to decide its own eligibility criteria.
Some councils started distributing help in April and have already depleted their share, so you might have missed out for now.
There are currently a number of councils offering help via the HSF.
Tower Hamlets Council is dishing out cost of living cash worth £100.
Meanwhile, Plymouth Council is handing out payments worth up to £740.
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 to know if you qualify?
Financial support available to struggling households varies from council to council, so it is worth checking what schemes your local council offers to ensure you get all the support you need.
The benefits you already receive will not be impacted by applying for the HSF.
And, you do not necessarily need to receive benefits in the first place to get vouchers or funds from the HSF.
How do I apply?
To get the help, you’ll need to check with your council – as local authorities are in charge of distributing the funding.
Information on how to apply for the funding should be published on your council’s website. Each council will have a different application process.
If there’s no information on your council’s website, then it’s best to ring them up and ask for more information.
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
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 yearly £150 discount off energy bills.
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.
What energy bill help is available?
THERE’S a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you’re struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy firms have grant schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria varies depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £1,500.
British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill, and some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.
Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
