HOUSEHOLDS can claim free energy vouchers worth up to £300 to help with bills this winter.
Families can claim the cash through the Household Support Fund (HSF), which is distributed by local councils to help with the cost of living.
The HSF is a pot of money shared between councils in England to distribute among those living in their areas.
What you’re entitled to is a postcode lottery, dependant on the terms set by your local authority.
Councils in England are now distributing the latest round of funding, which amounts to £421million.
They have until April 2025 to make payments and each will set its own eligibility criteria.
While this means access varies, if you have a limited amount of money or savings, or are deemed to be vulnerable or on benefits, you will probably qualify for help.
St Helens Borough Council in Merseyside is offering support with essential bills.
Low-income families can apply for support with fuel, food and other living expenses, including utility debts, as well as help with the cost of purchasing furniture or white goods.
Direct payments of £200, or £300 for over 80s, will also be made to pensioners who are not eligible for this year’s winter fuel payment, but receive Housing Benefit or a Council Tax reduction.
Eligible households should receive their payments by the end of this week.
In previous years the winter fuel payment was available to everyone aged 66 and over.
However, cuts introduced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves now restrict the payment to retirees receiving Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits, with thousands missing out.
St Helens Borough Council will also make direct payments to households where someone has a medical condition that could be exacerbated by inadequate heating.
Applications can be made through the council’s website.
The authority is not the only council to be offering support to its residents.
Worcestershire County Council is offering households grants of up to £500 to help with utility costs.
The funding can be used to pay for electricity, gas, water, oil or solid fuels.
Households with children under the age of 18 (or 21 if in full-time education) can receive up to £500, while adult households will be eligible for up to £300.
Meanwhile, those living in Derby could be eligible for financial support in the form of supermarket food vouchers – worth as much as £125 – if their household contains children under the age of 19.
Multiple adult households can claim a food voucher worth £75, while an eligible single adult household can claim £50.
Derby City Council is also using its funding to help struggling residents by offering energy grants, but the amount each household can get is unspecified and depends on individual circumstances.
Many councils are also offering support to pensioners after access to the winter fuel payment was scaled back.
Milton Keynes City Council is among those offering energy vouchers to struggling households.
The council said it will assess applicants on a “case by case” basis, but people who are just missing out on the winter fuel payment will receive help worth up to £300.
Coventry Council is also offering energy grants of up to £120 for single people or childless couples, and £160 for families.
Meanwhile Medway Council is also providing help. It will give electronic energy cards to the value of £100 to those in demonstrable hardship, with less than £500 in their bank accounts.
Every council will receive funding from the HSF, so if you’re worried about making ends meet, check your local authority’s website for further details.
To find your local council, use the Government’s council locator tool.
What is the Household Support Fund?
Households in need can claim support to help with the cost of living via the Household Support Fund.
The funding is supplied from a £421million pot by the Department for Work and Pensions.
It was first introduced in October 2021 and has been extended five times.
Councils up and down the country get a portion of the cash to allocate to vulnerable households.
Get in touch with your local council to see if you might be eligible for help.
You can find what council area you fall under by using the Government’s council locator tool on its website.
The help you can get varies depending on who your local council is, as well as your personal situation.
But you may be able to get free cash and vouchers to help pay for things like heating your home or to cover costs of your weekly grocery shop.
If an applicant is already receiving benefits, these will not be affected by the HSF.
You also do not need to be getting benefits to receive vouchers or funds from the HSF.
Check with your local council to find out what support is available and the eligibility criteria.
How has the Household Support Fund evolved?
The Household Support Fund was first launched in October 2021 to help Brits pay their way through winter amid the cost of living crisis.
Councils up and down the country got a slice of the £421million funding available to dish out to Brits in need.
It was then extended in the 2022 Spring Budget and for a second time in October 2022 to help those on the lowest incomes with the rising cost of living.
The DWP then confirmed a third extension of the scheme through to March 31, 2024.
Former chancellor Jeremy Hunt extended the HSF for the fourth time while delivering his Spring Budget on March 6, 2024.
In September 2024, the Government announced a fifth extension.
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