HELPING HAND
Thousands of households can get payments worth £300 to help with rising bills – are you eligible?
The Household Support Fund aims to help struggling families
THOUSANDS of households in England can get £300 payments which aim to help them with rising bills amid the cost of living crisis.
Hard-up families in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, can receive the cash as part of the Household Support Fund.
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The HSF offers help to struggling households and has been extended several times since it was introduced by the previous Government in 2021.
Local councils are given funding which they then distribute to those eligible, so the support available varies across the country.
What you can get depends on where you live but the money could be paid out as a direct cash transfer or shopping vouchers.
Kirklees Council said more than 15,000 people are expected to be eligible for the funding.
READ MORE ABOUT THE HSF
The council confirmed it provides both direct bank payments and vouchers to residents.
It added it is also offering support to organisations such as food banks and community groups in the area.
Households need to apply to get the funding and payments are made once eligible applications are received, Kirklees Council told The Sun.
Eligible residents are those on low incomes or those who receive benefits and need help with energy and food costs.
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However, families who receive free school meals will automatically receive support during the school holidays and don't need to apply for the HSF, the council added.
What is the Household Support Fund?
The HSF was first introduced in October 2021 and has been extended five times.
The latest round of funding is worth £421 million to councils in England so that they could help struggling household.
Who qualifies is a postcode lottery too, as each local authority can set its own eligibility criteria.
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 HSF was recently extended in the Government's Spring Budget until September and some councils have already opened for applications.
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.
In Cambridgeshire, residents 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.
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The funds can be paid in a lump sum of £110 into your bank account, or split between different types of vouchers.
You should 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.
The help you can get varies depending 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 cover the costs of your weekly grocery shop.
If an applicant is already receiving benefits, these will not be affected by the HSF.
And you don't need to be getting benefits to receive vouchers or funds from the HSF.
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Check with your local council to find out what support is available and the eligibility criteria.
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.
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