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Four areas giving out extra cost of living payments worth up to £350 in January – are you eligible?
Plus other help you can get if you don't qualify
THOUSANDS of households are in line for cost of living payments worth up to £350 in January.
The help comes via the Household Support Fund (HSF) which is worth £842million.
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The fund was first launched in October 2021 and has been extended three times.
The latest multi-million pound pot of money has been shared between councils in England which then decide how to allocate it.
That means what you are entitled to depends on where you live, and some areas have already closed for applications.
Some councils are still distributing help though, in the form of vouchers and direct bank payments in January.
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Here are all the local authorities handing out support this month:
East Riding Council - £350
East Riding Council in Yorkshire is dishing out payments to a number of eligible households in January.
Bank transfers worth £350 will be made automatically to those receiving council tax support and:
- living in a property that has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of F, G or H, and a member of your household is disabled, or
- where you or your partner are aged between 18-24 and you are responsible for paying council tax
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Applications are also open for working households, which means you will be eligible for support if:
- you are working, but not in receipt of any benefits, and
- your income is below £28,000 per year for single households and under £33,000 per year for other households, and
- you have under £6,000 in savings or in a bank account
Meanwhile, unpaid carer households are eligible for help, so if:
- you are an East Riding resident (you receive a council tax bill from East Riding of Yorkshire Council)
- you are an unpaid adult carer and the person you care for is in receipt of a disability payment, and
- your income is below £28,000 per year for single households and under £33,000 per year for other households, and
- you have under £6,000 in savings or in a bank account
Both working and unpaid carer households will receive a payment of £350 in their bank accounts, but they have to apply via East Riding Council's website.
Payments will be made within 20 days of applications being submitted.
Bromley - £200
Bromley Council in South East London is handing out support to hard-up households worth up to £200 this month.
Eligible residents are being urged to apply as soon as possible while funds are still available.
To qualify for the help, you need to be over the age of 16, living in Bromley and:
- a family with school age children
- a care leaver
- a household with someone with a disability including dementia and mental health
- a domestic abuse survivor
- a carer
- a large family
- a single income family
- a vulnerable household experiencing exceptional financial hardship
You also need to provide evidence you are struggling financially, which could be if you are in energy, rent or mortgage arrears of more than three months.
Households in council tax arrears or who can supply evidence of other significant financial hardship will also be eligible for help.
Anyone who does qualify will receive a £200 Virtual Payment Card via email which can used for online or over the phone payments.
If you don't provide an email address when applying, or don't have one, you will receive a Sainsbury's supermarket gift card worth £200 by post.
Anyone who has already received help via the latest round of Household Support Fund will not be eligible twice.
You can apply online via Bromley Council's website and should expect a response within 15 working days via email or post.
Stockton-on-Tees - £80
Pensioner households in Stock-on-Tees, County Durham, who are entitled to a council tax reduction will receive £80 physical vouchers in the first two weeks of January.
The vouchers then have to be exchanged for cash at a PayPoint outlet by February 29.
A spokesperson for the council confirmed the vouchers will be sent via post.
If you qualify you don't have to do anything as the vouchers will be sent automatically.
Southend-on-Sea - £50
Southend-on-Sea Council is issuing free supermarket vouchers worth £50 to help cover food costs for families.
The vouchers will be issued automatically so you just have to sit tight and wait.
If you are eligible you will be notified by your child's school and a voucher will be given to you.
In June last year the local authority issued over 8,000 supermarket vouchers to households in need, so the figure is likely to be the same this time around too.
What other support is available?
If you don't live in one of the above areas, you might still be eligible for help via the Household Support Fund.
But you'll usually have to be on benefits, a low income or able to prove you are struggling financially.
You should get in touch with your local council to see what help is available.
You can find what council area you fall under by using the Government's online council locator tool - you just have to enter your postcode.
If you don't qualify for the HSF you might be able to get a grant from your energy firm to cover the cost of bills.
British Gas, Scottish Gas, EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers.
Eligibility criteria varies depending on the supplier so you should get in touch for further details.
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Usually you'll have to prove you are struggling to pay for your bills though.
Meanwhile, you might be able to get a free electric blanket if you're with Octopus Energy or Ovo Energy.
You can also join our new Sun Money to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.
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