HELPING HAND
Hundreds of pensioners to get £200 cost of living voucher before Christmas to help with energy bills
Find out what help you can get if you don't qualify for the £200 payment
HUNDREDS of pensioners are to receive a £200 cost of living voucher to help with energy bills just in time for Christmas.
The financial boost comes via the latest round of the Household Support Fund which is worth a staggering £421million.
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The fund is designed to help hard-up households cover the cost of living, mostly through cash grants, supermarket and energy vouchers.
Each council across England has been allocated a share of the £421million pot and decides who to distribute money to.
Pensioner households in Reading who are no longer eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, and who are in receipt of support from the Council Tax Reduction scheme and/or Housing Benefit, are to be sent a voucher worth £200.
The council already holds the details of around 1,100 eligible residents, with vouchers automatically distributed from December.
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The £200 voucher will be posted in December and recipients have until 10 February 2025 to cash it.
But remember - after this date, vouchers cannot be cashed in.
A Household Support Fund grant of £1,130,648 was confirmed for Reading to provide cost of living support to households in the most need.
This includes those who may not be eligible for other support the government has recently made available.
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Reading's Council Leader Liz Terry said: "We know from the number of people approaching the Council for support that the cost-of-living crisis has not gone away.
"We also know the Council’s vouchers can mean the difference between putting food on the table or being able to pay for heating.
Cash for Care
"This year the Council has chosen to additionally use some of the funding available to direct support to pensioners in Reading no longer eligible for the Winter Fuel Allowance, but who are also in receipt of support through the Council Tax reduction scheme and / or Housing Benefit.
"We are grateful to the Government for acknowledging the importance of the Household Support Fund scheme to local councils and for extending it through the winter."
What if I don't live in Reading?
Each council across England has been allocated a share from the £421million pot.
But each local authority gets to decide its own eligibility criteria.
That means what you are entitled to will vary depending on where you live.
Not all councils have decided what they will do with their share of the £421million yet either.
The best thing to do is contact your local authority to see if any help is currently on offer.
You can find what council area you fall under by the using the Government's council locator tool via gov.uk.
The Sun recently shared a guide and interactive map to help those unsure figure out what they may be able to claim.
Other help on offer
If you're not eligible for the Household Support Fund, you might be able to get a grant from your energy firm to cover energy debt.
British Gas is handing out grants worth £1,700 to struggling households through its Individual and Families Fund.
The fund is available to British Gas and non-British Gas customers living in England, Scotland or Wales.
You won't be eligible if you received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust within the last two years.
And you must be seeking a grant to clear outstanding debt on a current or open gas, electricity or dual fuel energy account.
Crucially, you also need to have received help from a money advice agency within the last six months.
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If you don'y qualify for help with British Gas, a number of other energy firms offer help to customers struggling with energy bill debt.
This includes OVO, Boost, E.On, E.On Next, EDF, Scottish Power, Octopus, Shell Energy, SSE and Utilita.
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 £421million funding available to dish out to Brits in need.
It was then extended in the 2022 Spring Budget and for a second time in October 2022 to help those on the lowest incomes with the rising cost of living.
The DWP then confirmed a third extension of the scheme through to March 31, 2024.
Former chancellor Jeremy Hunt extended the HSF for the fourth time while delivering his Spring Budget on March 6, 2024.
In September 2024, the Government announced a fifth extension.
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