THOUSANDS of hard-up households can get up to £120 free cash for food or energy bills to help with soaring costs.
The cash support comes through the Household Support Fund worth £421million.
Households can get free cash to help with food and energy billsGetty
The scheme was first established last year, extended in the March budget and extended again in November to help those on the lowest incomes with the rising cost of living.
Each council gets a different portion of funding depending on the size of the catchment area, population, and need.
The vouchers or grants on offer vary by location so you’ll have to check to see what you can get and how your council will pay you.
You’ll usually need to be on a low income to receive the help.
For example, thousands of households in Wokingham can get a £120 food, fuel or free cash voucher.
What are councils offering and who is eligible?
Local authorities have had some autonomy on how they use the Fund to reach the vulnerable people in their communities.
Eligibility requirements will vary depending on where you live – so check directly with your council if you could get the cash help.
Households in Wokingham can get £120 in food, fuel or cash vouchers.
The council says support is available to households who feel they are struggling with rising costs of living, as well as people in receipt of benefits.
The grants are being awarded by Citizens Advice and Age UK through the Household Support Fund.
If you think you might be eligible, you can call Citizens Advice Wokingham on 0808 278 7958 or apply through the website.
You can also call Age UK Berkshire on (0118) 959 4242 or send them an email.
Make sure you have information at hand such as what benefits you receive and personal information like your home address.
The fund opened in October last year, and will remain open until March 31.
But there is only a limited of amount of cash, so it may be best to get your application in sooner rather than later.
What if I don’t live in Wokingham?
Your local council will likely have its own version of the scheme going and you should get in contact with them to find out more.
But be quick – while the deadline for councils to hand out the latest round of HSF cash support is March 31, it’s done on a first-come-first-serve basis.
For example, thousands of residents in Plymouth are due electronic vouchers to help pay for food and other essentials at supermarkets.
And eligible households can get up to £180 in free supermarket vouchers depending on their circumstances.
Thousands of residents in North Yorkshire are also due electronic supermarket vouchers worth up to £325.
What other support is available?
Millions of hard-up households will begin to receive a £900 cost of living payment from April – but many won’t qualify.
The free cash will be paid out in three instalments to help those on certain benefits with the cost of living.
The first payment of £301 will be made in the spring, with a second of £300 in the autumn and a final £299 instalment in the spring of 2024.
More than eight million people will have the cash paid directly into their bank accounts.
Here we list the six types of benefits including Universal Credit that will qualify you for the free cash.
Struggling families are eligible for the Warm House Discount to help them tackle the cost of living.
The scheme is where eligible households can get £150 off their electricity bill each winter – but you’ll have to wait until the colder months to get the money off.
Households in England and Wales don’t need to apply to get the cash and they’ll automatically qualify if they are receiving certain benefits.
You can read more about who’s eligible here.
There are also plenty of energy grants and schemes open to help you out if you’re struggling:
British Gas Energy Trust Individuals and Family FundBritish Gas Energy TrustEDF Customer Support FundE.ON and E.ON Next GrantsOctopus Energy Assist FundOVO EnergyScottish Power Hardship Fund
There’s also a one-off fuel voucher from your energy supplier if you’re on a prepayment meter.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]