HELPING HAND
How thousands of hard-up families can get a £100 cost of living payment before Christmas
Scroll down to learn more about the Household Support Fund
THOUSANDS of struggling households could be eligible to receive a £100 cost of living payment just in time for Christmas.
Introduced during the cost of living crisis, the Household Support Fund has been extended this month and will run until March next year.
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Residents in Cheshire East could receive £100 free cash to help cover the costs of food, energy and wider essentials.
Households must be referred by a professional from an organisation supporting adults and families to qualify for the scheme.
These professionals may work in various fields, including education, health, housing support and advice, faith, or third-sector organisations.
Referrals must be submitted by December 20 to ensure Cheshire residents receive the payment in time for Christmas.
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The scheme will reopen again from January 6 to March 15, 2025.
Once submitted, households will only have to wait five days before either the referral is processed.
Those needing food support will receive supermarket vouchers, while families requiring energy support will be provided with cash.
A resident living alone can receive up to £60 in food vouchers and £100 in cash for energy payments.
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A couple will receive a £100 food voucher, an additional £20 per child, and £100 to cover energy.
What is the Household Support Fund?
£421million is being given to local authorities through the Household Support Fund.
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Through the fund, vulnerable households can claim support to help with the cost of living.
The funding is supplied from a £421million pot by the Department for Work and Pensions.
It was first introduced in October 2021 and has been extended five times.
Councils get a portion of the cash based on their population, size, catchment area, and need, which they allocate to vulnerable households.
For example, Medway Council in Kent, South-East England, is offering thousands of households supermarket vouchers worth up to £225.
Some could qualify for electronic energy cards or e-vouchers to cover water bills worth £100 too.
Get in touch with your local council to see if you might be eligible for help.
You can find what council area you fall under by using the Government's council locator tool on its website.
What you can get depends on who your local council is, as well as your personal situation.
But you may be able to get free cash and vouchers to help pay for things like heating your home or to cover costs of your weekly grocery shop.
If an applicant is already receiving benefits, these will not be affected by the HSF.
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You also do not need to be getting 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.
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity works out what you could get.
Entitledto's determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data.
You can use to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
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