HELPING HAND
One-off payments worth up to £100 going to thousands of households in weeks – will you get it?
Find out if you're eligible to claim from your local council
THOUSANDS of cash-strapped households could claim £100 in a one-off payment in just weeks.
Leeds Council was allocated a total of £7.09million to spend between April 1 and September 30 from the Household Support Fund (HSF).
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The HSF offers help to the most hard-up households and has been extended several times since it was introduced by Government in 2021.
Funding is given to local councils to distribute, so the support available varies across the country.
Now, a Leeds City Council report said £2.7million would be spent on cash payments to more than 62,500 households in receipt of Council Tax Support.
The award will be based on information held on the Council Tax Support claim.
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Those with children would receive a £100 payment.
Meanwhile, pensioners and working-age adults without children will be awarded £25.
These payments will be made throughout July 2024.
Eligible households will receive letters containing a barcode which can be taken to the Post Office, along with ID, to redeem the cash.
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The report said: “The area of highest spend will be through the Council Tax Support related scheme.
“This will ensure that households on some of the lowest incomes in the city receive support directly, without the requirement for an application process."
Thousands of hard-up households to get vouchers worth up to £350
The second greatest HSF allocation was £1.7m for charities in the city including the Leeds Food Aid Network, Voluntary Action Leeds, Forum Central and Fareshare.
Another allocation of £200,000 will go to the city’s Local Welfare Support scheme.
Leeds City Council warns the funding is strictly for those struggling.
Evidence, like proof of income, may be required, while the council may ever send a worker out to homes to assess that household's needs.
What is the Household Support Fund?
The Household Support Fund (HSF) was first introduced in October 2021 and has been extended five times, to September 2024.
The latest round of funding is worth £421million to councils in England.
Who qualifies and the level of support given is a postcode lottery, as each local authority can set its own criteria for distributing the funds.
However, if you have a limited amount of money or savings in the bank, are classed as vulnerable or are on benefits, you will likely qualify for help.
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.
What support is available
The support provided varies from council to council, so it's worth checking the schemes your local council has in place to make sure you receive all the assistance available.
For example, in Hertfordshire funds have also been made available to support households on low incomes facing immediate financial crisis, provide help with energy costs and support food banks.
You can find what council area you fall under by using the Government's tool on its website.
You don't need to worry about additional support impacting existing benefits, as these will be unaffected by payments from the HSF.
And, you do not need necessarily need to be in receipt of benefits to receive vouchers or funds from the HSF.
Check with your local council to find out what support is available and the eligibility criteria.
What's on offer from five different councils right now
Cornwall Council
Cornwall Council has secured a further £4.5 million pounds from the DWP.
Here's what you can get:
- £80 payment to pensioners in receipt of pension credit
- £80 payment to adults assessed receiving care
- £80 payment per child for families receiving council tax support on June 3, 2024
- £80 payment per child for families living in emergency accommodation on June 3, 2024
Coventry City Council
Households who find themselves in financial difficulty can apply for a range of support:
- £120 to single people or childless couples to help with energy and water bills
- £140 to families to help with energy and water bills
- £25 worth of food parcels
- Household appliances and furniture
- £95 per adult and £60 per child in clothes vouchers
- £20 to single person or childless couple in toiletries vouches
- £30 to families in toiletries vouches
Ealing Council
Ealing has been allocated £2.6M to support low-income families between now and the end of September 2024.
All of the following supermarket vouchers will be provided by the council's partner, Blackhawk.
- £105 to families claiming benefits related free school meals in supermarket vouchers
- £105 to families with children under the age of five who get Housing Benefit or council tax reduction
- £105 to care leavers in supermarket vouchers
If you are eligible, you do not need to apply for the vouchers.
Hartlepool Borough Council
The majority of Hartlepool's HSF funding is targeted at children and pensioners in low-income households.
The funding is allocated to these two groups in the form of shopping vouchers for food or in some cases as a bank payment.
Eligible households could get:
- £60 shopping vouchers per child in receipt of free school meals
- £60 shopping vouchers to low-income pensioners
Herefordshire Council
Households in Herefordshire can get up to £500 depending on their circumstances and level of need.
The Council said it is available for "the most vulnerable households".
Eligible households could get access to the following:
- £500 cash grants through the Herefordshire Community Foundation Fuel Poverty Fund
- £250 cash grants for individuals that use 'high energy' use medical equipment
Parents may also be able to get a one-off emergency payment voucher of £75.
How do you 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.
Many councils won't actually require you to apply for the help and will contact you about it, or issue vouchers via email or your child's school.
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As well as supermarket vouchers, you could qualify for electronic energy cards or e-vouchers to help with water bills.
If there's no information on your council's website, then it's best to ring them up and ask for more information.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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