TENS of thousands of households are in line for free money ahead of Christmas to help them with the cost of living.
It comes via the latest round of Household Support Fund (HSF) from the Government, worth £842million.
The fund has been made available to councils in England who are distributing their share to residents in need.
That means what you are entitled to varies depending on where you live, although in most cases help is being offered to those on a low income or benefits such as Universal Credit.
Thousands of households in Nottinghamshire are in line for payments worth £130 while residents in Torbay can get help worth up to a whopping £500.
And there are other areas handing out help to residents before the festive period.
More than 30,000 households in Nottinghamshire are set to receive £130 in extra cost of living cash before Christmas.
The council is making payments of £130 to low-income households, including those with children eligible for free school meals.
Those in receipt of Pension Credit are also eligible for help and social workers and professionals have identified others who qualify.
You can check if you are eligible for free cash and apply on the county council’s website.
Torbay Council, in Devon, has been granted £2.4million in funding to support residents on a low income.
But how much you can get depends on your individual circumstances.
Those on benefits can get up to £150, but you can also claim up to £500 if you’re not on benefits, depending on the size of your home.
In any case, you have to be over 16 to apply for help, which you can do on the Torbay Council website.
Households in West Northamptonshire are being urged to apply for help via the HSF worth £300.
To qualify, you must live in a household that’s earning £400 or less a week after tax, including any government benefits.
Meanwhile, you can’t have received any of the cost of living payments, including the £150 disability cost of living payment.
You also must meet the following criteria:
You can apply for the funding via the council’s website.
Dorset residents can claim supermarket vouchers worth £150 from December 5.
Citizens Advice is allocating the vouchers on behalf of the council and they will be issued to eligible residents within six to eight weeks.
You have to be living in Dorset to claim help. You also have to have:
Any money you receive from certain benefits will not be included in your net income calculation. They are:
To apply, contact your nearest Citizens Advice branch or visit its website.
Thousands of households in Reading can get free cash paid directly to their bank accounts to cover the cost of living.
Those with children who qualify for free school meals or care leavers are eligible for two £125 vouchers this year.
One was already paid in July while the second is being issued in December.
If this is you, you don’t have to apply and will be able to redeem the voucher at your nearest Post Office.
If this isn’t you, you can still apply for a £125 cash grant direct to your bank account if you’re considered vulnerable.
Support will be prioritised to households who fall into one or more of the following categories:
You can apply for help on the Reading Borough Council website.
You can still get help if you don’t live in the areas mentioned above.
In most cases, if you’re on benefits like Universal Credit or Income Support, you’ll be in line for help via the HSF.
But you should contact your local council to see what is on offer.
If you don’t know what local authority area you fall under, you can use the government’s locator tool on its website.
You just have to type in your postcode and it will bring up your local council.
There’s other financial help at hand beyond the Household Support Fund.
Millions of pensioners are in line for a bumper Winter Fuel Payment over the colder months.
The cash boost started being distributed from November 1 and all should be made by the end of December.
You qualify for the payment if you were born on or before September 25, 1957, and lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of 18 to 24 September 2023, known as the qualifying week.
Meanwhile, households on a prepayment meter might be able to get a one-off voucher to top up via the Fuel Bank Foundation charity.
You should contact your local council to find out about claiming one.
Households can also get £150 off their electricity bill for winter 2023 to 2024 through the Warm Home Discount scheme.
The money is not paid to you but is a one-off discount applied to your electricity bill between October and March every year.
In most cases, you get the discount automatically if you’re eligible, say for example if you’re on the following benefits:
In Scotland, some customers will need to apply for cash.
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