STRUGGLING Brits can get free cash for food and bills worth as much as £340 this winter.
A pot of cash worth £500m has been shared among local councils to hand out to hard-up families.
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For instance in Barnsley those in need can get up to £200 to spend in supermarkets, including Aldi, Asda, Morrisons and Tesco.
As well as groceries the vouchers can also be used for other essentials from Argos, Currys and Halfords.
You can apply for the vouchers if you already get Council Tax support from Barnsley council.
There’s also up to £140 available for help with energy bills, and you can get this if you’re earning under £30,000 a year.
But anyone struggling who lives elsewhere could get similar help to cover living costs.
Energy bills are going up and groceries prices are rising, stretching budgets further especially over the winter period.
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The government launched the Household Support Fund last year and councils now have cash to give out to families and individuals struggling to get by.
But how much you can get and who is eligible can vary depending on where you live.
In Spelthorne you can get a one-off cash payment of up to £80 and in Rutland you can gt £100 for essentials.
You can search for your local council using the search tool on gov.uk – just enter your postcode.
You can then see the help you can get from the Household Support Fund, who’s eligible and how to apply.
It’s worth doing this sooner rather than later, as there is a limited amount of cash to give out.
The funding is available up to the end of March but some councils have closed applications earlier or may run out of cash if there’s a lot of demand.
Even if this scheme has run out in your area, or you’re not eligible there may be other help available too.
You can also get help with your energy bills from your energy company and government schemes.
Council Tax bills can often take up a large amount of household budgets, but many people are eligible for a discount, or could even get it for free.
There’s a separate scheme that offers cash to help people cover housing costs like rent – here’s how it works and how to apply.
Martin Lewis warns energy bills will rise by £600 a year in April
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