THOUSANDS of households could get payments of up to £500 to help with the cost of living in July.
Hard-up households can claim support to help with rising costs via the Household Support Fund (HSF).
The HSF provides financial help to struggling households, and has been extended several times since it was first introduced by the Government in 2021.
Funding is given out to local councils to distribute to those most in need in their area, so the support available varies across the country and what you can get depends on where you live.
The money could also be paid out as a direct cash transfer, shopping vouchers or other means to help with bills and other expenses – it is up to the council to decide how to distribute it.
Eligibility is usually based on your financial circumstances and what benefits you receive.
Households in Leicestershire can apply for a financial award of £300 per household, which will be paid in the form of vouchers to support with gas, electricity and food.
The payment can be delivered as a Post Office voucher, which can be redeemed for cash to help with gas, electricity or water, or an e-voucher to help with food costs that can be converted to a gift card for major supermarkets.
Recipients will need to be referred from a professional support worker or agency and payment will be made on acceptance.
Residents of Leeds who receive council tax support with dependent children can claim up to £100, while those without children could receive £25.
Applications opened on June 24 and payments will be made throughout July.
Residents of Leeds who receive council tax support with dependent children can claim up to £100, while those without children could receive £25.
Those eligible will be contacted directly and payments will be made throughout July.
Those living in the East Riding of Yorkshire could receive a payment of £200, by the end of July.
Payments will be made automatically to households receiving council tax support.
However, you can also make a claim if your property has an Energy Performance Certificate rating of E, F or G, if a member of the household is disabled or if you have been identified as in, or at risk of, financial crisis.
Care leavers could also be eligible if they are responsible for paying council tax at their address.
You could also be eligible if you made an application between April 2023 and March 2024 and received a Household Support Fund payment.
Households in Cambridgeshire in need of support can apply for a financial award of £110 per household.
Even better, residents can apply twice for support between 1 April and September 30 this year, meaning each household could be in line to receive as much as £220.
The funds can be paid in a lump sum of £110 into your bank account, or split between different types of vouchers.
To be eligible residents will need to live in Cambridgeshire, have £16,000 or less in money, savings, and investments and income below a set threshold.
The threshold is £24,876 before tax for a single adult, rising to £30,465 for the single parent of one child, £37,377 for the single parent of two children and £48,735 for a single parent of three or more children.
For couples without children the threshold is £34,494, rising to £36,123 for couples with one child, £42,418 for couples with two children and £54,572 for couples with three children or more.
In Shropshire £400 payments will be made to approximately 3,000 households on low incomes.
To be eligible households will need to be in receipt of council tax support and have a dependant child resident in the property.
Those due to receive the payment will be contacted by the council and sent a letter with instructions to apply.
Payments can be used to help with energy and water bills, food, essentials and housing costs (excluding mortgage payments).
In the Ribble Valley in East Lancashire households who are struggling financially and have a combined income of less than £50,000 can apply for food vouchers.
Single households could be in line for payments of £200, those with two or more adults could receive £300 and those with children £500.
Applications opened on June 24, and will run whilst funding is available.
Hastings Council will provide £150 in support for energy and water bills as well as food.
Applicants must be aged 18 or over, have less than £6,000 in savings and investments, be finding it difficult to pay for food, energy or water and be in receipt of housing benefit, council tax reductions or Universal Credit.
Applications can be made between April 1 and September 30.
In Medway residents can apply for vouchers to help pay for food, school uniforms or energy costs.
Single households can apply for £65 support, those with two people £85, three people £115, four people £155, five people £190 and those with six people or more £225.
To be eligible applicants must be Medway residents, aged 16 or over and in demonstrable hardship.
In Nottinghamshire, support payments worth around £110 per household will be available between April and September 2024.
They will be available to those in receipt of pension credits or those with children in receipt of free school meals as well as other households and individuals struggling with rising costs.
In West Devon, support is available to help with food and utility costs for those aged over 16 and without sufficient resources to meet their immediate short-term needs.
Every council will have received funding from the HSF, so if you’re worried about making ends meet, check your local council’s website for further details.
Additional support may also be available to help with food costs during school holidays.
To find your local council, use the Government’s council locator tool.
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.
The support provided varies from council to council, so its 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 council locator 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.
To get the help, you’ll need to check with your council.
Information on how to apply for the funding should be published on your council’s website. Each council will have a different application process.
If there’s no information on your council’s website, then it’s best to ring them up and ask for more information.
THERE are several ways you can get discounts and reductions on your council tax bill.
In some cases, you can even get the bill completely wiped with a council tax reduction.
Factors such as your household income, whether you have children, and if you receive any benefits, will influence what you get.
To apply, visit https://www.gov.uk/apply-council-tax-reduction.
You’ll need your National Insurance number, bank statements, a recent payslip or letter from the Jobcentre, and a passport or driving licence when filling out the details.
Below, we reveal all the ways you can get discounts or a reduction on your bill:
Single person discount
If you live on your own, you can get 25% off your council tax bill.
This also applies if there is one adult and one student living together in a property, or if there is one adult and one person classed as severely mentally impaired in the home.
If you live with someone who doesn’t have to pay council tax, such as a carer or someone who is severely mentally impaired, you could get a larger reduction too, of up to 50%.
And, if you live in an all-student household, you could get a 100% discount.
Retirees
Pensioners may also find themselves eligible for a council tax reduction.
If you receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, you could get a 100% discount.
If not, you could still get help if you have a low income and less than £16,000 in savings.
And a pensioner who lives alone will be entitled to a 25% discount too.
Low-income households
If you are on a low income or receiving benefits, you could be eligible for a reduction on your council tax.
Whether you are eligible will vary depending on where you live.
You could also get a deferral if you’re struggling to pay your bill, or you can speak to your council about setting up a payment plan to manage the cost.
But one thing to remember is if you are struggling you should contact your council as early as you can.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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