Thousands to get £100 in cost of living help as scheme reopens
In the recent extension of the Household Support Fund scheme, Hartlepool Council received £1.75million in funding and recently confirmed how it planned to spend it
Thousands of Brits are going to be sent cost of living help worth £100 through the government's Household Support Fund scheme.
The scheme - first launched in 2021 and run by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - has given local councils pots of cash to support struggling households in their area. Each authority decides how it wants to spend the money, and help can range from free cash payments to supermarket vouchers.
Labour extended the cost of living support scheme in the recent Spring Statement and it will be running for aother year until March 2026.
In the recent extension of the scheme, Hartlepool Council received £1.75million in funding and recently confirmed how it planned to spend it. Hartlepool Council will give out food vouchers worth £100 to households with children aged between two and 19.
According to the council, the vouchers will be sent to 7,500 children and young people living in the area. Last year's funding provided vouchers to 7,542 low income families.
Alongside this, the council aims to use £440,800 of its budget to provide payments or food vouchers worth £100 to pensioners claiming Council Tax Support. In previous rounds of the Household Support Fund scheme, Hartlepool awarded 4,450 pensioners with food vouchers or payments.
Of the funding, £90,000 each will go to Citizens' Advice Bureau and Advice at Hart to provide fuel vouchers and help residents pay energy bills. Local residents will need to apply for this support through an application process.
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Another £226,000 will be used to deliver an application fund 'aimed at those who can evidence they are struggling but cannot access other forms of support.' This fund will provide local residents with one-off financial support for energy, food, and other household essentials. There is no set amount for this help, and the amount you can get will be based on your personal circumstances.
A further £20,660 will go to help those struggling with housing costs. Again, this will be an application-based system. Finally, £40,000 will go to Hartlepool Food Bank. Hartlepool Council's website details all the support offered alongside the criteria.
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You cannot claim this support if you do not live in Hartlepool, however you are able to claim help from your local council through their own Household Support Fund scheme. Due to this system, it means it can be a postcode lottery for the support you can get.
Each council's website details its support offerings alongside its eligibility criteria. Usually, it has a separate cost of living tab that details the help on offer.
It's imprtant to note that each council will also have a different application process for the scheme. Some ask you to apply online, while others ask you to apply over the phone. Some councils are also reaching out to those eligible directly
You can find out who your local council is through the official Gov.uk page here. All you need to do is enter your postcode by using this link to see who your local authority is.
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