THOUSANDS of families across the UK could get emergency help to buy white goods and appliances.
The government has expanded its Household Support Fund (HSF) until March 31, 2025, allotting an extra £421million to help people in need with the cost of energy, food and essential items.
Councils and local authorities decide what they do with the funding, which means the support available is a lottery depending on where you live.
For instance, some councils explicitly say they will help with white goods and appliances, others say they might be able to help, and some exclude this kind of support entirely.
Each sets its own criteria. In some locations you may need to receive certain benefits, while other councils will help anyone who is vulnerable or on a low income.
Many have limitations on how often you can apply.
That might mean you can only get help once in a 12-month period, or you might be excluded if you’ve had support from the fund in the past.
The type and amount of help you get varies too.
Some will give you a cash grant up to a certain limit, while others might pay for the appliance direct from the supplier.
To find out what help is available, and how to qualify, you need to visit your local council’s websites.
However, we’ve rounded up some of the councils that say they help with appliances and essentials, so you can see what support is on offer.
You can apply on a case-by-case basis for help getting appliances you need including:
You can only use the fund for one household appliance per application.
The Resident Support Scheme can help with short-term living costs like credit, food and gas/electric prepayment metres.
It can also help in some circumstances with white goods and furniture.
This uses the HSF to help residents who are in financial difficulties and struggling to meet the cost of essential items including the repair or purchase of essential household appliances and the servicing and repair of heating systems.
Redbridge uses the household support fund to help people struggling to afford things like energy and water bills, food and essential items.
Each household can apply twice in the same period.
The Essex Essential Living Fund can help pay for:
If you are struggling with buying essentials, you can apply for a welfare assistance payment to help.
This is a one-off payment to help you get through your crisis.
While the priority is to help people pay for energy bills and access food, the fund can also be used for purchasing essential household items like fridges, freezers, and ovens.
Only one item of white goods may be requested in any six-month period.
Crisis payments and community care grants are discretionary.
Each application is assessed on its individual merits and no two applications can be compared.
Households who find themselves in financial difficulty can apply for a range of support; this includes households who have previously been ineligible following receipt of a Cost-of-Living Payment.
Applications for household essentials for example, kitchen appliances, beds etc are currently taking around 8 weeks to be assessed and awarded.
The Haringey Support Fund can help residents who:
Several organisations and projects have been provided with Housing Support Fund money to help with the cost of household essentials such as white goods and appliances.
The full list is available here.
The Household Support Fund helps vulnerable households cope with the rising cost of living through fuel grants as well as grants for essential household appliances, such as cookers and washing machines.
The fund awards grants of up to £500. You can find out more and apply here.
To access a grant, an online application will need to be made on behalf of an individual/family in need by a referral organisation or care professional such as Citizens Advice Bureau, local food bank, social worker, debt advisor or employment coach.
White goods are purchased directly from the provider.
Priority is given to helping people access food and fuel, however other household essentials can be considered.
Additional support is available for the following:
If you need support with essential household items or other essentials, contact Customer Services on 01902 290241 (option 2) who will refer you to the relevant Community Organisation.
Plymouth
Citizens Advice Plymouth will support households in need who meet the eligibility criteria and are experiencing financial difficulty.
This includes help with:
Households can only apply for this fund if they did not access support in the previous rounds of the Household Support Fund anytime between November 2023 and September 2024.
Only one application can be made per household, and you must live in Plymouth.
The fund can be used for:
The fund is available to everyone who lives in Medway, including those who are not currently receiving benefits and who are not eligible for public funds.
The council has allotted £40,000 for appliances and furniture such as white goods, cookers, beds, furniture, and more.
This is accessed through Newbury Community Resource Centre.
There is also a budget of £20,000 for discretionary assistance supporting those moving into accommodation without essentials such as carpets and curtains.
Hackney says that it can offer help with household items and housing costs.
This includes payments to cover items such as:
For advice and guidance, call the customer service line on 020 8356 3000 and ask to apply for “discretionary crisis support”.
Financial assistance will be available for food, fuel, water and other essentials, and will be distributed via organisations within the county who become aware of those families that are in financial crisis.
The Household Support Grant provides emergency cost of living support to help vulnerable people with immediate and essential needs.
This can include things like:
This grant scheme is open until all funds have been spent or 31 March 2024 – whichever is first.
The types of short term support the fund can help with include:
You are not eligible for funding from the application-based scheme if you or someone in your household received a household support fund payment or post office voucher from the council in the last 12 months.
Financial support for individuals and families in crisis due to an emergency or disaster may be available from Wirral Council.
This may include help for those leaving a care home, prison, hospital or similar, to become established in the community.
Emergency financial support may be available for individuals and families who meet the criteria and who need help with household items such as: white goods; essential furniture and kitchen items; bedding and clothing.
Vulnerable residents who do not qualify under the council’s Emergency Financial Support Scheme can apply for white goods, including washing machines, cookers and fridges, and other essential household items from North Birkenhead Development Trust and St Vincent de Paul Society, Wirral.
Applications should be submitted via local referral agencies such as Citizens Advice Wirral and Involve Northwest.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
