Latest news with #HartlepoolFoodBank
Daily Mirror
27-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Thousands of households urged to claim £100 in free cost of living cash
This scheme sees local council awarded a set amount of funding, which they can then distribute in the form of cash grants or vouchers to struggling residents Thousands of struggling households are being urged to check if they can get £100 in free money or vouchers through a cost of living scheme. The help is being distributed by Hartlepool Borough Council as part of the Household Support Fund. This scheme sees local council awarded a set amount of funding, which they can then distribute in the form of cash grants or vouchers to struggling residents. It is up to each local authority to decide what support it offers, and who is eligible for help. Hartlepool Borough Council is awarding £100 food vouchers to all households where a child is aged between two and 19 and is eligible for free school meals. Meanwhile, households with pensioners who are in receipt of council tax support will get £100 in bank payments or food vouchers this year. The local authority is also giving £40,000 to Hartlepool Food Bank to distribute food parcels, plus £90,000 to Citizens Advice to help residents struggling with energy bills. Hartlepool Borough Council has been awarded £1.75million in Government funding, with a deadline to spend the money by April 2026. Details on how to apply for help from the council have yet to be revealed. If you're not a Hartlepool resident, it is worth checking what support your local council can offer you through the Household Support Fund. For example, Worcestershire County Council is giving Malvern, Worcester, Wychavon, Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wyre Forest residents up to £500 in energy help. There is up to £500 available for homes with children under 18 or full-time students under 21, or up to £300 for adult-only households aged 18–66. Pensioner households can also get up to £300. The money can be paid straight to your energy provider, or you may be offered Post Office vouchers. In order to receive this help, you must have an overall household income of £24,570 if you're single and with no children, or £31,000 or less a year for all other households. There is an exception for households claiming certain non-means tested benefits. You must also have no household savings, with the exception of if you're over state pension age, in which case you can have £5,000 in savings. You or someone else in your household must also have a long-term diagnosed health condition or registered disabled, be of state pension age, have young children of pre-school age (four years old or under), be in receipt of benefits, or be receiving help from a registered charity or GP. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council is giving out vouchers to help with energy or food costs worth £300. This is split into two £150 vouchers. In order to be eligible, you must be over the age of 16 and living independently of parents or carers and have no money to cover essential bills.
The Sun
25-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Thousands of hard-up households eligible for free cash worth £100 to cover cost of living
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. 1 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.
