Latest news with #Household
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Thousands of households can now claim £150 cost of living help – but you'll need to be quick
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THOUSANDS of families can now apply for cost of living help worth up to £150. Hard-up households can get access to the cash through the Household Support Fund (HSF). Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Thousands of families can apply for cost of living help worth up to £150 Credit: Getty The scheme has been extended several times, with the latest round running between April 2025 and March 2026. Every council in England has been allocated a share of the £742million fund and can give it to residents who are struggling. How the money is paid depends on your council but it could come in the form of free cash, vouchers or white goods. Whether you are eligible also varies depending on where you live but the help is usually available to those who are on a low income or benefits. Households in Portsmouth can now apply for the support, which is worth up to £150. The money is available to help residents most in need with everyday essentials including food and energy bills. It is also designed to help prevent people falling into, or further into, financial crisis. Households with the following postcodes can now apply: PO1 to PO6, PO7 5AT, PO7 5AU, PO7 5AX, PO7 5AY, PO7 5AZ, PO7 5BA, PO7 5BS, PO7 5BT or PO7 5BU. The council is giving eligible families a £50 supermarket voucher per child. That means if you have three children then you will receive £150. Families with children in reception to year 11 will get the vouchers automatically from their schools, as in the previous schemes. 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 £421million 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. And don't delay, the scheme has been extended until April 2025 but your council may dish out their share of the Household Support Fund before this date. Once the cash is gone, you may find they cannot provide any extra help so it's crucial you apply as soon as possible. You don't need to apply if your child is on the school register and already receives benefits-related free school meals. But other families can still apply for the vouchers. You can complete an application if you are on a low income and have children aged between zero and 19 who do not qualify for free school meals or if you or your partner are at least 20 weeks pregnant. For more information and to apply online visit If you can't complete the online application or upload proof of your situation, you can apply by calling 023 9268 8010. You need to submit your application by 12 noon on September 25. But you should apply as soon as possible as due to limited funding, the scheme may close early if all the funds have been given out. Which other councils are also offering support? Other councils are also offering support to vulnerable households. Among them is Sutton, which is offering residents support worth up to £150. To be eligible for the cash you must live in the borough of Sutton and have less than £3,000 in your bank account. Families in Middlesbrough can also apply for help with their energy bills, food and essential costs, such as council tax. To qualify for the support they need to live in Middlesbrough and have children who are eligible for income-related free school meals. Meanwhile, North Somerset Council has also announced it will provide food vouchers of up to £100 to those in need. Plus, families living in Worcestershire can apply to get cost of living cash worth £500. At the same time, Cheshire West Council's latest allocation of the Household Support Fund is worth £200. Keep an eye on your local council's website or social media channels to avoid missing out. Are you missing out on benefits? YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to Charity Turn2Us' benefits calculator works out what you could get. Entitledto's free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit. and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data. You can use Policy in Practice's calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs. Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for. 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
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Families on benefits can apply now to get up to £120 in free cost of living cash – are you eligible?
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THOUSANDS of households can now apply for cost of living cash worth up to £120. Cash-strapped families can get access to the money through the Household Support Fund (HSF). Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Thousands of families can apply for free cash worth up to £120 Credit: Alamy The scheme has been extended several times, with the latest round running between April 2025 and March 2026. Every council in England has been allocated a share of the £742million fund and can give it to residents in need. Exactly how the money will be paid depends on your council but it could come in the form of free cash, vouchers or white goods. Eligibility criteria also varies depending on where you live but the help is usually available to those on benefits or a low income. Households in Middlesbrough can now apply for the support, which is worth up to £120. The money is available to help residents with energy bills, food and essential costs, such as council tax. To qualify for the support you must live at a property in Middlesbrough and be responsible for paying the council tax, rent or a mortgage. The support is being rolled out in stages to different types of residents in need. Households who get benefits and have children can now apply. Families with children who receive free school meals were automatically sent a voucher before July 9. But the cash is also available to families with a child who receives income-related free school meals and: Is aged under five, if another child in the household is eligible for free school meals. Goes to a school outside of Middlesbrough but lives in Middlesbrough. You can also apply if your child is not eligible for income-related free school meals but your household gets one of the following benefits: Council Tax Reduction Income-based Employment and Support Allowance Housing Benefit Income Support Pension Credit Universal Credit 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 £421million 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. And don't delay, the scheme has been extended until April 2025 but your council may dish out their share of the Household Support Fund before this date. Once the cash is gone, you may find they cannot provide any extra help so it's crucial you apply as soon as possible. Eligible households will receive a voucher for £60 per child. This means that if you have two children you could be given £120. To apply visit It can take up to 21 working days for the council to process applications, so apply now to avoid the payment being delayed. Which other councils are also offering support? Other councils have also announced the details of their schemes. Among them is Sutton, which is offering residents support worth up to £150. To qualify for the cash you must live in the borough of Sutton and have less than £3,000 in your bank account. Meanwhile, North Somerset Council has also announced it will provide food vouchers of up to £100 to those in need. Plus, families living in Worcestershire can apply for cost of living cash worth £500. At the same time, Cheshire West Council's latest allocation of the Household Support Fund is worth £200. Keep an eye on your local council's website or social media channels to avoid missing out. Are you missing out on benefits? YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to Charity Turn2Us' benefits calculator works out what you could get. Entitledto's free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit. and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data. You can use Policy in Practice's calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs. Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for. 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
Business Times
22-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Subsidies and grants for some 20,000 people miscalculated due to processing issue: MOH
[SINGAPORE] About 20,000 people received the wrong subsidies and grants owing to a processing issue in a government means-testing system. The Ministry of Health (MOH), which manages the Household Means Eligibility System (Homes), said on Jul 21 that corrections to the subsidy and grant levels of those affected are in progress. The ministry added that it has completed a reassessment of the affected individuals' subsidy tiers. The majority of those affected received more subsidies and grants than they were entitled to, said the ministry. They will not have to return the excess subsidy or grant amounts that have already been paid out. Those who received less than they were entitled to will have the difference topped up by government agencies, said MOH. They will receive the reimbursement payments by November. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up MOH said it will adjust the means-test and subsidy tiers of affected individuals to the intended levels from Jul 21. Homes uses income information from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore to means-test individuals with business income. It provides means-testing results for selected subsidy schemes across the government. Explaining the processing issue, MOH said that, in January, Homes could not appropriately account for the business income of some people after changes to data processing timelines. This caused miscalculations in the means-test results of these individuals and members of their households between Jan 1 and 27, said MOH. It added that the roughly 20,000 affected people represent less than 3 per cent of all individuals means-tested during this period. MOH said about 19,000 people were affected for schemes under MOH, while around 1,000 individuals were affected for other schemes under the Early Childhood Development Agency, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Education and Infocomm Media Development Authority. The MOH schemes affected by the processing issue are: Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) Subsidies for CareShield Life or MediShield Life premiums and Additional Premium Support Subsidies for long-term care services Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund Equipment Rental Scheme Home Caregiving Grant ElderFund Subsidies at public healthcare institutions for day surgery, inpatient services, specialist outpatient clinics, polyclinic drugs/vaccines and community hospital services Schemes by other government agencies affected by the processing issue are: Early Childhood Development Agency's pre-school subsidies and early intervention schemes Infocomm Media Development Authority's DigitalAccess@Home Scheme Ministry of Education's Higher Education Bursaries and Kindergarten Care Additional Subsidies Ministry of Social and Family Development's Enabling Transport Subsidy, Taxi Subsidy Scheme and Assistive Technology Fund Agencies will reach out to inform those impacted by the processing issue progressively. These individuals do not have to take any action on their part, said MOH. In a similar incident in 2019, about 7,700 people who applied for and renewed their Chas cards in September and October 2018 received inaccurate subsidies after a computer system miscalculated their means-test results. The Straits Times has contacted MOH for more information. THE STRAITS TIMES
The Age
14-07-2025
- General
- The Age
After years caring for her family, Monique found a new priority
Monique van Tulder spent most of her life caring for others – putting her career on the backburner for her husband, raising her children and helping with the care of ageing parents. 'My husband was earning a lot more money, so from a family point of view, it made financial sense [to put my career on hold when I had children]. And I thought, 'OK, that's cool. This is just a few years'.' '[But] a few years became decades, and that's when the rot set in. I thought, 'is this it?'' At 54, she made the radical decision to leave her husband and two sons – then in their late teens – and travel Australia and Europe for eight months. The experience, which van Tulder details in her book, A Grown Up's Gap Year, fundamentally changed her life. 'I came alive again. It was as if I was living a life in sepia, and technicolor came into my life again,' she says. Rejecting the mental load Van Tulder's experience of the motherload is not unique. Leah Ruppanner, a professor of sociology and founding director of The Future of Work Lab and the Gender Equity Initiative at the University of Melbourne, says men are starting to take on a greater share of household work. Still, the amount of domestic work done by men in homes with dependent children (under 15) has not increased in the decades since 2002, according to the latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics survey.
Sydney Morning Herald
14-07-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
After years caring for her family, Monique found a new priority
Monique van Tulder spent most of her life caring for others – putting her career on the backburner for her husband, raising her children and helping with the care of ageing parents. 'My husband was earning a lot more money, so from a family point of view, it made financial sense [to put my career on hold when I had children]. And I thought, 'OK, that's cool. This is just a few years'.' '[But] a few years became decades, and that's when the rot set in. I thought, 'is this it?'' At 54, she made the radical decision to leave her husband and two sons – then in their late teens – and travel Australia and Europe for eight months. The experience, which van Tulder details in her book, A Grown Up's Gap Year, fundamentally changed her life. 'I came alive again. It was as if I was living a life in sepia, and technicolor came into my life again,' she says. Rejecting the mental load Van Tulder's experience of the motherload is not unique. Leah Ruppanner, a professor of sociology and founding director of The Future of Work Lab and the Gender Equity Initiative at the University of Melbourne, says men are starting to take on a greater share of household work. Still, the amount of domestic work done by men in homes with dependent children (under 15) has not increased in the decades since 2002, according to the latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics survey.
