FAMILIES can get £40 free cash per child to use for food and other essential costs.
The cost of living is extremely high and many are struggling to make ends meet.
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But some families will be able to get some help for their food and other essential costs.
The money comes as part of the Household Support Fund, which is worth £842million.
The money has come from the Government which has distributed it among councils in England.
They then decide how to share their portion of the fund.
That means what you can get depends on where you live, but in most cases help is offered to those on a low income or benefits.
The type of support on offer varies as well – some local authorities are offering out food or utility bill vouchers while others are making bank transfers.
You might even get help buying white goods such as fridges and washing machines.
And families living in Middlesbrough can get £40 per child for help towards costs.
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The help will come as an e-voucher.
You’ll need to meet the same criteria for free school meals but you may also be eligible if:
- You have a child under five and another child in the house gets free school meals
- Your child goes to school outside of Middlesbrough, but you live within Middlesbrough
- You aren’t eligible for free school meals but get council tax reduction, Universal Credit or housing benefit
Those who get free school meals may have already received vouchers as the schools will have informed the council that they are eligible.
But if you think you qualify and haven’t yet got anything, then you can apply online via the Middleborough Council website from Monday May 22.
But if you’re a struggling household without children, Middlesborough council will also be offering financial support to you too.
It said it’ll be letting residents know within the next few weeks though we have asked and will update the piece once we know more.
Can I get help if I don’t live in Middlesbrough?
Yes you can. But what you can get depends on where you live as each council has been given a unique share of the £842million pot.
For example, households in Torridge are in line for payments worth up to £1,000.
The application process varies from area to area too.
The best thing to do is contact your local council to see what help is on offer and if you have to take any action.
You can do this by using the Government’s locator tool found on its website.
But you might want to be quick as competition for the fund is fierce and once a council has depleted its share, there’s no more left.
That said, the Household Support Fund has been extended multiple times since it was first launched in October 2021 so it might be extended again when the current batch closes, in March 2024.
What other help is on offer?
Cost of living payment
Beyond the Household Support Fund there are three cost of living payments being issued by the Government between now and spring 2024.
They are worth £900, £150-£300 and £150 and eligibility for each is different.
The £900 payment has been split into three instalments of £301, £300 and £299 and is being made to those who receive the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Pension credit
The first instalment should be paid to over eight million eligible people by May 17.
The second and third are being paid this autumn and in Spring 2024, repsectively.
Free school meals
The criteria for free school meals varies depending on where you live and your financial situation.
For example, in England, you are entitled to free school meals if your child is between Reception or Year 2 regardless of your income.
From Year 3 onwards you have to be receiving certain benefits to be in line for the meals.
The rules are different in Wales and Scotland.
Children in England whose parents claim certain benefits are eligible to receive free school meals:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit – if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
Healthy Start vouchers
The Healthy Start Scheme helps families struggling to keep up with costs by dishing out prepaid cards.
These are for parents to spend at a range of supermarkets and shops, replacing vouchers.
Those on benefits or low income with small children can use the cash to help pay for milk, vegetables, fruit and more.
You’ll need to be more than 10 weeks pregnant to claim, but women or men who have children under four will be eligible too.
They normally need to be on at least one of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Child Tax Credit with a family income of £16,190 or less per year
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit with no earned income or total earned income of £408 or less per month for the family.
However, if you are under 18 and pregnant you can get the money, even if you don’t receive any of the above benefits.
Tax-free childcare
You can get up to £500 every three months – up to a maximum of £2,000 a year – for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare.
If your child is disabled, it’s even more – £1,000 every three months, up to £4,000 per year.
To receive the tax-free benefit you need to create an online childcare account.
For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will add £2 which you can use to pay your approved provider.
You should bear in mind that you can’t claim tax-free childcare if you receive working tax credit, child tax credit, Universal Credit, or childcare vouchers.
Your tax credits will stop immediately if you successfully apply for tax-free childcare. You will also have to cancel your Universal Credit and childcare vouchers.
Use the government’s calculator tool to work out which option will work best for you.
Universal Credit childcare costs
You can claim back 85% of childcare costs up to £646 for one child or £1,108 for two or more up to August 31 following the child’s 16th birthday.
You will have to pay your childcare costs yourself up front and then claim the money back through Universal Credit – here’s the government’s guide on how to do that.
15 or 30 hours free childcare
All three to four-year-old children in England are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare – amounting to 570 hours per year – from the term after their third birthday.
The free allowance is usually taken as 15 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year, but it is possible to take it at a time that suits you.
The free early education and childcare must be with an approved childcare provider and stops when your child starts school.
Working parents may be eligible to get up to 30 hours of free childcare if they are working at least 16 hours a week on average and earning the National Minimum Wage or more.
Check out what you could get and apply online at gov.uk.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
