PAY DAY
Thousands of households to receive £50 cost of living payment into bank accounts TODAY – are you eligible?
Watch our video above on how to claim money in your area
THOUSANDS of households are set to receive a free £50 payment to help with the cost of living from today.
The aid comes via the Household Support Fund (HSF) which is worth £421million.
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The fund has been shared between councils in England who have to distribute their portion before the end of September.
What you can get depends on where you live, as each local authority has been given its own unique amount.
Spelthorne Council, on the outskirts of West London, is dishing out payments worth £50 to eligible households from today.
Anyone who qualifies for help will have received an email telling them.
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You will only receive the payment today if you were found to have been eligible after applying.
A maximum of one payment will be made per household and any payments are being made direct into bank accounts.
You will qualify for the £50 cash if you live in the Spelthorne area and receive one of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Job Seekers Allowance
- Income Support
- Employment Support Allowance (Income related)
- Pension Credit
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Spelthorne Council said further £50 payments are being made up until September 23.
You can apply by phoning 01784 446374 and requesting a paper application form.
Can I get help if I don't live in Spelthorne?
You might be able to. The £421million HSF pot has been shared between councils in England, but not equally.
Each local authority gets to decide its own eligibility criteria.
That means what you can get, and whether you qualify, depend on where you live.
Some councils started distributing help in April and have already depleted their share, so you might have missed out for now.
The Household Support Fund has been extended multiple times since its inception in October 2021, so it may be extended again though.
There are currently a number of councils offering help via the HSF.
Leicestershire Council is handing out payments worth £300 to thousands of households.
Households in Stockport can claim up to £315 worth of free supermarket vouchers to help with the cost of living.
Meanwhile, Wokingham Council is handing out grants worth up to £140.
If you want to check if you are eligible for help, contact your local council.
You can find what council area you fall under by using the Government's council locator tool.
How else to get help with the cost of living
If you're not eligible for the Household Support Fund in your local area, it's worth checking if you qualify for benefits.
Recent figures from Policy in Practice reveal millions of people aren't claiming the extra help when they could be.
In total, £23billion went unclaimed over the last financial year, with £8.3billion worth of Universal Credit not claimed for.
You can apply for benefits on the Government's website.
It's not just extra money you get from benefits either, with a number opening up additional perks.
Those on Universal Credit can get help covering the cost of childcare, for example, while those on Pension Credit can get a free TV licence.
Those on the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit also qualify for the Warm Home Discount - a £150 discount off energy bills once a year.
You may also be able to get grants to cover your energy bills if you've fallen into arrears.
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A number of energy firms offer grants to struggling customers, including Scottish Power, Octopus Energy and British Gas.
If you're struggling to pay your bills, speak to your supplier to see if they can give you any help.
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 £500million funding available to dish out to Brits in need.
It was then extended for a second time in the 2022 Spring Budget and for a third time in October 2022 to help those on the lowest incomes with the rising cost of living.
The DWP then confirmed a fourth extension of the scheme through to March 31, 2024.
Chancellor Jeremey Hunt extended the HSF for the fifth time while delivering his Spring Budget on March 6, 2024.