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Scottish Sun
25-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Thousands of hard-up households eligible for free cash worth £100 to cover cost of living
Scroll down to find out what help you can get if you don't qualify for the £100 CASH BOOST Thousands of hard-up households eligible for free cash worth £100 to cover cost of living Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THOUSANDS of struggling households are eligible for free cash worth £100 to cover the cost of living. The help comes via the Household Support Fund, a £742million pot of money that has been shared between English councils. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Households in Hartlepool are eligible for free money via the Household Support Fund Credit: Getty Local authorities then have to decide how to distribute their share of the fund before March 31, 2026. Hartlepool Borough Council has been given £1.75million to share between hard-up households. The local authority is giving £40,000 to Hartlepool Food Bank to distribute food parcels across the borough and £90,000 to Citizens Advice to help residents struggling with their energy bills. But, it is also distributing £100 food vouchers to all children eligible for free school meals aged between two and 19. Meanwhile, £100 bank payments or food vouchers will be shared between pensioners on council tax support. Details on how either of the £100 payments will be distributed are yet to be revealed. However, if you meet the criteria, you will likely be contacted by Hartlepool Council about when to expect them or any next steps. We have also contacted Hartlepool Council to find out when families with children on free school meals and eligible pensioners will receive the payments and will update this story when we have heard back. Councillor Brenda Harrison, leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said: 'We know that a lot of households across the borough are struggling financially, and we hope that these measures will help to bring them some much-needed relief and ease the pressure they are currently under. 'This demonstrates the Council's on-going commitment and determination to tackle financial hardship and to improve the lives of Hartlepool residents." Three key benefits that YOU could be missing out on, and one even gives you a free TV Licence Can I get help if I live outside Hartlepool? Put simply, yes. However, it will depend on your circumstances and where you live. The Household Support Fund was set up to help households cover essentials such as energy or water bills and food costs. But, each council can set its own eligibility criteria meaning whether you qualify for help is a postcode lottery. That said, funding is aimed at anyone who's vulnerable or struggling to pay for essentials. So, if you are financially hard-up or on benefits, it is likely you will be able to get help. It's worth bearing in mind, any help you receive via the Household Support Fund won't affect your benefit payments. The type of help on offer varies from supermarket vouchers to direct cash payments into your bank account. Some councils are allocating their share of the fund to community groups and charities who you have to get in touch with. Household Support Fund explained Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements explains what you need to know about the Household Support Fund. If you're battling to afford energy and water bills, food or other essential items and services, the Household Support Fund can act as a vital lifeline. The financial support is a little-known way for struggling families to get extra help with the cost of living. Every council in England has been given a share of £742million cash by the government to distribute to local low income households. Each local authority chooses how to pass on the support. Some offer vouchers whereas others give direct cash payments. In many instances, the value of support is worth hundreds of pounds to individual families. Just as the support varies between councils, so does the criteria for qualifying. Many councils offer the help to households on selected benefits or they may base help on the level of household income. The key is to get in touch with your local authority to see exactly what support is on offer. The current round runs until the end of March 2026. If you're on benefits, have limited savings, or are struggling to cover food and energy bills, it's worth seeing if you're eligible for help. Contact your local council and see if you have to apply or whether support is being distributed automatically. You can find what council area you fall under by using the government's council locator tool - Other help if you're on a low income It's not just the Household Support Fund you can lean on if you're struggling to cover the cost of essentials like energy bills or food. You might be able to get free money covering the cost of food if you're on benefits through the Healthy Start scheme. The scheme is open to pregnant women and families with young children on low incomes. You get a prepaid card which you top up and can use to buy healthy foods for your kids at the supermarket. You can get £8.50 per week for newborns up to one-year-olds - worth £442 a year. Find out more via Meanwhile, several energy firms offer grants to households who are struggling to pay their energy bills worth up to £2,000. This includes British Gas, Octopus Energy and EDF. It's also worth checking if you're eligible for benefits if you haven't already - billions of pounds worth is going unclaimed, according to Policy in Practice. You can use one of the below calculators to find out if you could be eligible for help: Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Daily Mirror
21-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
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. Get the best deals and tips from Mirror Money 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. Sign up to Mirror Money's newsletter for the latest advice and news From universal credit to furlough, employment rights, travel updates and emergency financial aid - we've got all of the big financial stories you need to know about right now. 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 page here. All you need to do is enter your postcode by using this link to see who your local authority is.
